DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A group of militants used kerosine to set fire to a girls’ school in a former Pakistani Taliban stronghold, destroying furniture, computers and books, police said Wednesday, in the latest in a surge in such attacks.
No one was hurt in the overnight attack in North Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local police official Rehmat Ullah said. Two other girls’ schools in the region were bombed earlier this month.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but authorities suspect Islamic militants, who targeted girls’ schools years ago, saying that women should not be educated.
North Waziristan is a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, who are also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. It is a separate group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021. The Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan has emboldened the Pakistani Taliban.
Suspected militants burn girls’ school in northwest Pakistan in third such attack this month
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Suspected militants burn girls’ school in northwest Pakistan in third such attack this month
- Kerosine used to set fire to a girls’ school in North Waziristan district
- Suspects destroyed furniture, computers and books in latest attack
Pakistan cuts fuel prices at year-end amid push for economic reform
- Petrol price has been cut by Rs 10.28, diesel by Rs 8.57 per liter from Jan. 1
- Relief comes as inflation eases but household purchasing power remains weak
KARACHI: Pakistan cut prices of petrol and high-speed diesel at the turn of the year, with a government notification on Wednesday announcing relief of up to Rs 10.28 per liter as Islamabad presses ahead with economic reforms following recent macroeconomic stabilization.
The price cuts come as inflation has eased in recent months after a prolonged slowdown, though households continue to complain of limited purchasing power following years of high prices, currency weakness and sluggish growth.
“The Government has revised the prices of the petroleum products based on recommendations of OGRA,” the Ministry of Energy said in a notification, referring to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority.
Under the revised rates, the price of high-speed diesel was cut by Rs 8.57 per liter to Rs 257.08, while petrol prices were reduced by Rs 10.28 per liter to Rs 253.17, effective from Jan. 1 for the next fortnight.
Fuel prices in Pakistan are reviewed every two weeks and are influenced by global oil market trends, currency movements and changes in domestic taxation. The pricing mechanism passes changes in import costs on to consumers, helping sustain the country’s fuel supply chain.
Petrol is primarily used for private transport, motorcycles, rickshaws and small vehicles, while diesel powers heavy transport used to move goods across the South Asian country.
While Pakistan has seen signs of macroeconomic stabilization, including a slowdown in inflation, many consumers say their purchasing power remains strained after years of economic stress.
Last year, the country was hit by devastating monsoon floods once again that damaged farmlands in the eastern province of Punjab — Pakistan’s breadbasket — pushing up food prices nationwide.
