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  • Pakistan increases power tariff for major consumers in move to unlock stalled IMF funds 


Pakistan increases power tariff for major consumers in move to unlock stalled IMF funds 

In this photograph taken on November 16, 2016, Pakistani technicians work at a power grid station in Faisalabad. (AFP/FILE)
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Updated 11 February 2023
Kashif Imran 

Pakistan increases power tariff for major consumers in move to unlock stalled IMF funds 

  • An IMF mission left Islamabad on Friday after talks failed to materialize $1.2 billion loan tranche 
  • Pakistan is desperate to get the IMF nod, which will help unlock funding from multilateral donors 
Updated 11 February 2023
Kashif Imran 

KARACHI: The Pakistani government on Friday increased the power tariff by Rs1 per unit for major consumers, its finance division said, in a move to unlock the much-needed loan money from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

An IMF mission left Islamabad on Friday after discussions with Pakistani officials failed to materialize a 9th review of the country’s $7 billion loan program signed in 2019. 

Pakistan is desperately looking for a $1.2 billion loan tranche from the IMF to shore up its foreign reserves, which have dropped below $3 billion, and unlock funding from multilateral donors to keep the economy afloat. 

On Friday, the Economic Coordination Committee of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet has okayed an increase in power tariff among other measures to bring the program, which has been stalled since November, back on track. 

“The ECC after discussion approved the proposal to recover Rs76 billion while exempting non-ToU domestic consumers having consumption ≤ 300 units and private agriculture consumers in four months period from March 2023 to June 2023 to recover the markup charges of PHL loans and allowed to impose additional surcharge of Rs1/unit for FY 2023-24 to recover additional markup charges of PHL loans not covered through the already applicable FC surcharge,” the finance division said in a statement. 

“The above surcharges will be applicable to K-Electric consumers to maintain uniform tariff across the country.” 

Pakistan has for months been grappling with a plethora of economic woes and is looking to quell fears of a default on its international obligations with the release of IMF funds. 

The withdrawal of energy sector subsidies has been one of the main conditions of the IMF to resume the stalled loan program. Both Islamabad and the IMF have agreed to virtually resume their talks from next week. 

“The ECC considered and approved the proposals contained in another summary of Ministry of Energy (Power Division) regarding recovery of staggered Fuel Charges Adjustment applicable for the months of August and September 2022,” the statement added. 

Topics: Pakistan Taxes power tariff IMF bailout

Dengue outbreak triggers alarm in southwestern Pakistan’s district Kech

Updated 11 sec ago

Dengue outbreak triggers alarm in southwestern Pakistan’s district Kech

  • District Kech reported 2,131 cases in April and May, while two people died from infection
  • While provincial government says it is taking anti-dengue measures, locals say otherwise
Updated 11 sec ago
SAADULLAH AKHTER

QUETTA: Health officials expressed alarm at the outbreak of dengue virus in southwestern Pakistan’s district Kech on Thursday, as official data showed the infection claimed two lives and infected over 2,000 people during the months of April and May.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that is transmitted from humans to mosquitoes. In its most lethal form, the disease is known to be fatal. Patients who are infected with dengue suffer severe flu-like symptoms, including high fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea, and vomiting that can last for a week.

Data by the Provincial Malaria Program showed district Kech reported 2,131 dengue cases in April and May. Two patients also died from the virus while undergoing treatment in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi.

“Due to the weather changes, we have been witnessing a dengue outbreak in Kech district because every year after the mid of May, the temperature increases up to 37 degrees in which dengue mosquitoes can’t survive,” Dr. Meer Yousaf, head of the Provincial Malaria Program, told Arab News.

“But for this season, the temperature has not increased.”

Balochistan health officials say only three districts in the province, namely Kech, Gwadar, and Lasbela, were declared high-risk places for the virus. However, he said only district Kech has reported a gradual surge in positive cases over the last six years.

Yousaf said despite intense insecticide fogging, the virus cannot be stopped from spreading until the masses don’t cooperate with the government to take preventive measures within their homes.

 Dr. Khalid Baloch, the medical superintendent at District Headquarter Hospital Kech, said authorities are conducting daily tests of over 200 people in the district out of which 30 plus people are testing positive.

“We have established a ten-bed isolation ward in the hospital but due to the burgeoning number of patients, many are now admitted in general wards,” Baloch told Arab News.

He said that out of over 5,000 dengue tests conducted in May 2023, a total of 1,016 patients tested positive for the infection. “We are now treating critical patients inside the dengue ward but still many patients are moving to Karachi for dengue treatment,” he added.

Kech government officials say they have been conducting anti-dengue measures such as spraying insecticides to kill mosquitoes. However, local residents deny these claims.

“The health authorities’ claims of anti-dengue spray in Turbat city and other areas of the district are totally false because the hospital is filled with dengue patients,” Yasir Aslam Baloch, a local journalist, told Arab News.

Yousaf said health authorities were running awareness campaigns against the disease. However, he said people were not taking preventive measures.

“Due to the shortage of clean water, the majority of people place their uncovered water buckets in their courtyards which is an active source for dengue mosquito breeding,” he said, expressing the fear that the coming monsoon season would cause a further spike in dengue cases in the district.

Topics: Dengue Outbreak dengue Balochistan

Prominent Pakistani rights activist Jibran Nasir ‘picked up’ at gunpoint, says wife

Updated 49 min 59 sec ago

Prominent Pakistani rights activist Jibran Nasir ‘picked up’ at gunpoint, says wife

  • Jibran Nasir has been increasingly critical of Pakistan’s powerful military on social media
  • Nasir was forcibly taken away at gunpoint by 15 men, says wife and actress Mansha Pasha
Updated 49 min 59 sec ago
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Prominent Pakistani lawyer and rights activist Jibran Nasir was “picked up” by over a dozen unidentified persons in Karachi on Thursday night, his wife and actress Mansha Pasha said.

Nasir frequently criticizes Pakistan’s leading political parties, the religious right wing, and the country’s powerful military. He contested the 2013 and 2018 general elections as an independent candidate but managed to secure a few hundred votes each time.

Nasir has been increasingly critical of the Pakistani military on social media ever since it announced trying supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan under military laws for attacking its installations and torching government buildings on May 9.

“Approximately half an hour ago, my husband Jibran Nasir who is a very famous lawyer and who has done a lot for Pakistan— I don’t have to say it, you know it already— he has been picked up by some men,” Pasha said in a video message.

“We were on our way home after having dinner when a large white Vigo car intercepted our car, almost crashing into it, and around 15 men with pistols forcibly took my husband away,” she added.

“I would want you all to raise your voices and pray that my husband returns soon.”

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party demanded Nasir’s release, saying that his abduction is against the country’s constitution.

“Law of the jungle must not prevail in Pakistan,” the PTI wrote on Twitter.

Feminist rights movement Aurat March also demanded Nasir’s release, condemning his alleged abduction.

“We strongly condemn his abduction (which is a clear violation of citizen rights) & urge the govt & LEAs to ensure his immediate + unconditional safe release,” it wrote on Twitter.

Rights groups have raised alarm over the crackdown against PTI leaders and supporters, which has resulted in several of Khan’s aides leaving the party and distancing themselves from him since May 9.

Meanwhile, the government has denied reports it is illegally abducting dissenters and has repeatedly said only those who partook in violence and vandalism on May 9 would be dealt with according to law.

The continuing political turmoil has exacerbated Pakistan’s economic crisis with inflation at record highs, with fears of default looming large as the South Asian country so far fails to revive a stalled $6.5 billion loan program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Topics: Jibran Nasir Pakistani politics

Indian fishermen released from Pakistani jail remember fellow inmates who died last month

Updated 01 June 2023

Indian fishermen released from Pakistani jail remember fellow inmates who died last month

  • Pakistan releases 200 Indian fishermen from Malir prison as goodwill gesture toward India 
  • Two Indian fishermen in Malir prison passed away last month due to health complications
Updated 01 June 2023
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Pakistani authorities released 200 Indian fishermen on Thursday, who expressed happiness at the thought of meeting their families again but were sad to leave behind fellow Indian prisoners who passed away in Malir prison. 

Indian and Pakistani fishermen are routinely detained by both maritime agencies on charges of illegally entering each other’s territorial waters. The nuclear-armed nations’ borders are not clearly defined in the Arabian Sea and many fishing boats lack the technology to steer clear of any intrusion.

Karachi’s Malir prison has been in the headlines since the past year after several detainees of Afghan and Indian origin passed away due to health complications. In May, two Indian fishermen Balo Jetha and Soma Deva passed away after their health deteriorated in prison. Jail authorities insist inmates are treated well and provided medical treatment whenever they fall ill. 

Parmar Sajjan, one of the Indian fishermen released on Thursday, expressed joy at being released but said he would miss his friend Deva, whose body is currently kept at a morgue in Karachi. 

“We used to live together [in jail], and if he were alive, he would have accompanied us [to India],” Sajjan told Arab News. “I am happy, and I believe he would have been happy too,” he added. Sajjan said his friend was provided health care in jail before he was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Indian fishermen depart from a railway station after Pakistan authorities released them, in Karachi on June 1, 2023, allegedly arrested for trespassing into its territorial waters. (AN photo)

Sajjan thanked Pakistani authorities for releasing him, adding that he was “extremely happy” that he would finally get to meet his family. 

Another Indian fisherman, Hussain Rahim, wished India would reciprocate the move and release Pakistani fishermen who were languishing in Indian prisons. “I want to express that just as we fishermen are being released here, I hope that the Pakistani fishermen imprisoned in India will also be freed as soon as possible,” Rahim told Arab News.

When asked about the facilities being provided to Indian fishermen in Malir jail, Rahim said they were “treated like brothers” there. 

Fatima Majeed, a Pakistani fisherwomen and activist, said she could feel the pain of the Indian inmates as her father was also imprisoned in India in 1988. 

“I can feel their pain from very close because I have experienced this time too, I have also passed through it,” Majeed told Arab News. “It’s a very painful time.” She said when fishermen are arrested, the women in their families have to seek work in the informal sector to feed their families. 

Indian fishermen show their identity card as they departs from a railway station in Karachi, Pakistan, on June 1, 2023, allegedly arrested for trespassing into its territorial waters. (AN photo)

Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, in response to a question during a weekly briefing, said by releasing Indian prisoners, Pakistan had demonstrated its “consistent policy of not politicizing humanitarian matters.” She hoped India should also release Pakistani fishermen who were imprisoned in Indian jails. 

When asked whether a judicial commission existed to ensure the swift release of fishermen, Baloch responded in the affirmative. 

“The commission surely exists and the two sides have remained in contact on the mechanics of such visits which we hope will facilitate the civilians and fishermen who are held in prisons in Pakistan and India,” she said. 

Topics: Indian fishermen

Australia’s Steve Smith wary of Pakistani cricketers Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi ahead of Test tour

Updated 01 June 2023

Australia’s Steve Smith wary of Pakistani cricketers Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi ahead of Test tour

  • Pakistan will tour Australia for a three-match Test series in December 2023/January 2024
  • Steve Smith describes Babar Azam as a ‘dangerous’ batter who makes big scores at decent pace
Updated 01 June 2023
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Former Australian captain Steve Smith said in a video uploaded by Cricket Australia on Thursday that the Aussies would be wary of “dangerous” Pakistani batter Babar Azam and fiery pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, as the former world champions build the hype for Pakistan’s upcoming tour of the country in December 2023/January 2024. 

Pakistan will make a trip Down Under in December 2023 to take on Australia for the Benaud-Qadir Trophy between the two sides. The three Tests – part of the third World Test Championship cycle – will be played at Perth, Melbourne and Sydney in December and January.

The tour will kick off with the first Test at Peth on December 14 and will mark the first instance of Pakistan playing a Test at the venue. The two teams will face off in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26-30 while the third and final match will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3, 2024. 

Pakistan will have high hopes from its all-format skipper Azam and fiery left-handed fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi. In recent years, the two cricketers have become a mainstay in Pakistan’s national squad for all formats of the game. 

Azam is currently the only batter in the world who is ranked among the top five batters in all three formats of the game. He is the number one ranked batter in ODIs and is placed at number three in the international men’s T20I rankings while in Tests, he is placed at number five. Afridi is ranked at number five in the Test bowlers’ rankings while in ODIs, he is placed at number 10. 

“Babar Azam is a wonderful player,” Smith said. “The last few years he’s got better and better. He’s someone we have to look out for, he’s dangerous.”

 

 

Smith said Azam is a better who makes “big scores” and does so at a decent pace. 

The Australian batter said Afridi had considerably improved as well over the years, adding that the lanky bowler’s lethal pace with swing is an added advantage.

“The ability to swing it back is obviously a big key for him,” Smith said, adding that the team would be on the lookout for Afridi’s dangerous bowling as well. 

“They’re a great team to play against and their supporters are always there, cheering them on, which is great.”

Topics: Pakistan vs Australia Babar Azam

Pakistani elephant Madhubala ‘still’ suffering from potentially fatal parasite infection, confirms vet

Updated 01 June 2023

Pakistani elephant Madhubala ‘still’ suffering from potentially fatal parasite infection, confirms vet

  • Madhubala is one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan after Noor Jehan passed away in April 
  • The African elephant can only be shifted to sanctuary once it tests negative for the infection, says vet 
Updated 01 June 2023
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Pakistani elephant Madhubala “still” has blood infection Trypanosomiasis, Egyptian veterinarian Dr. Amir Khalil said on Thursday, adding that the animal would be shifted to a new sanctuary once it tests negative for the infection. 

Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants alive in Pakistan, was brought to the South Asian country with three other elephants from Tanzania in 2009. One of her long-time companions, 17-year-old Noor Jehan, passed away in April after suffering from multiple ailments including the same Trypanosomiasis infection. Noor Jehan’s death prompted animal rights activists and organizations to raise alarm over Karachi Zoo’s poor living conditions. They demanded Madhubala be shifted to a “species-appropriate” sanctuary immediately to avert another potential tragedy. 

Khalil, an employee of the international animal rights welfare organization FOUR PAWS, said last week that the Trypanosomiasis infection can be fatal. However, he said Madhubala was luckier than Noor Jehan as she was provided medicine for the infection before it reached an advanced stage. He also said FOUR PAWS is supporting the Karachi city government’s efforts to build an animal sanctuary at the Safari Park and that Madhubala would be shifted to it once it is completed. 

“Madublaha has a blood parasite still and she will receive medicine two times within two weeks, then another blood test [needs] to be done,” Khalil told Arab News. “Transfer should be done only when she is negative,” he added. 

Khalil had told Arab News last week that work on the sanctuary at Karachi’s Safari Park has already begun, adding that a night enclosure for Madhubala is also being built according to international standards. He said depending upon Madhubala’s health and the speed of the work on her sanctuary, authorities hope to shift her to it by the end of June or the first week of July. 

The developments take place more than two years after Kaavan, dubbed as the “world’s loneliest elephant,” was released from a dilapidated zoo in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad. Animal rights activists had long campaigned against the plight of the 35-year-old elephant who had lived alone since the death of his mate in 2012. 

Kaavan was transferred to Cambodia in late 2020 in a blaze of publicity after his plight caught the attention of US superstar Cher, who helped raise funds for the jumbo relocation.

Topics: Madhubala Four Paws International

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