ISLAMABAD: The government on Wednesday directed airports across Pakistan to stay alert against Mpox, a viral disease characterized by fever, swollen lymph nodes and a distinctive rash, as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the spread of its new variant in Congo and African countries as global emergency.
The Mpox virus is primarily found in Central and West Africa, where it is transmitted from animals, such as rodents and primates, to humans. Human-to-human transmission can occur through direct contact with body fluids, respiratory droplets or contaminated materials like bedding.
According to a statement released by the health ministry in Islamabad, Pakistani authorities decided to take the precautionary measures under the circumstances, though no cases of the new Mpox variant have been reported in the country.
“The World Health Organization has declared Mpox a global emergency,” Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, the prime minister’s health coordinator, was quoted as saying in the statement. “The Border Health Services of Pakistan has been put on high alert. The screening system at entry points across the country is being further strengthened.”
“We are ensuring the implementation of International Health Regulations and taking all necessary steps to protect the public from epidemics,” he continued.
The prime minister’s health coordinator said the ministry was prepared to deal with any unforeseen situation.
“National and provincial public health laboratories are well-prepared to confirm Mpox virus cases,” he added. “Epidemics have no borders. Federal hospitals have been instructed to take precautionary measures.”
The official statement said more than 17,000 suspected Mpox cases have been reported in African states during this year until now. These cases have been spread across 13 countries, causing a total number of 517 deaths.
Pakistan has held the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) meeting to evaluate the situation and take precautionary steps.
The NCOC was established in March 2020 and worked as the principal body to coordinate and implement the country’s national response to the COVID-19 by collecting, analyzing and disseminating data.
It also coordinated efforts between federal and provincial governments and made critical decisions regarding health measures, lockdowns, vaccination campaigns and public communication.
Pakistan puts airports on alert as WHO declares Mpox variant global emergency
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Pakistan puts airports on alert as WHO declares Mpox variant global emergency
- Health ministry says the decision is a precautionary step as Pakistan has not reported a new Mpox case
- The viral disease was declared global emergency following its new variant’s spread in African countries
Pakistan PM orders accelerated privatization of power sector to tackle losses
- Tenders to be issued for privatization of three major electricity distribution firms, PMO says
- Sharif says Pakistan to develop battery energy storage through public-private partnerships
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s prime minister on Monday directed the government to speed up privatization of state-owned power companies and improve electricity infrastructure nationwide, as authorities try to address deep-rooted losses and inefficiencies in the energy sector that have weighed on the economy and public finances.
Pakistan’s electricity system has long struggled with financial distress caused by a combination of factors including theft of power, inefficient collection of bills, high costs of generating electricity and a large burden of unpaid obligations known as “circular debt.” In the first quarter of the current financial year, government-owned distribution companies recorded losses of about Rs171 billion ($611 million) due to poor bill recovery and operational inefficiencies, official documents show. Circular debt in the broader power sector stood at around Rs1.66 trillion ($5.9 billion) in mid-2025, a sharp decline from past peaks but still a major fiscal drain.
Efforts to contain these losses have been a focus of Pakistan’s economic reform program with the International Monetary Fund, which has urged structural changes in the energy sector as part of financing conditions. Previous government initiatives have included signing a $4.5 billion financing facility with local banks to ease power sector debt and reducing retail electricity tariffs to support economic recovery.
“Electricity sector privatization and market-based competition is the sustainable solution to the country’s energy problems,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said at a meeting reviewing the roadmap for power sector reforms, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.
The meeting reviewed progress on privatization and infrastructure projects. Officials said tenders for modernizing one of Pakistan’s oldest operational hubs, Rohri Railway Station, will be issued soon and that the Ghazi Barotha to Faisalabad transmission line, designed to improve long-distance transmission of electricity, is in the initial approval stages. While not all power-sector decisions were detailed publicly, the government emphasized expanding private sector participation and completing priority projects to strengthen the electricity grid.
In another key development, the prime minister endorsed plans to begin work on a battery energy storage system with participation from private investors to help manage fluctuations in supply and demand, particularly as renewable energy sources such as solar and wind take a growing role in generation. Officials said the concept clearance for the storage system has been approved and feasibility studies are underway.
Government briefing documents also outlined steps toward shifting some electricity plants from imported coal to locally mined Thar coal, where a railway line expansion is underway to support transport of fuel, potentially lowering costs and import dependence in the long term.
State authorities also pledged to address safety by converting unmanned railway crossings to staffed ones and to strengthen food safety inspections at stations, underscoring broader infrastructure and service improvements connected to energy and transport priorities.
