MULTAN: Pakistan’s tail frustrated England as the hosts reached 358-8 at lunch on day two of the second Test in Multan on Wednesday after the visitors took three early wickets.
All-rounder Aamer Jamal and Noman Ali were at the crease on 37 and 29 respectively as they foiled England’s attack with an unbroken stand of 49 for the ninth wicket.
Pakistan resumed on 259-5 and England struck early on a reused Multan Stadium pitch that not only offered some spin but also helped the seamers extract reverse swing.
Brydon Carse (2-43) had Mohammad Rizwan caught behind by Jamie Smith for 41 in the third over of the day.
Rizwan hit five boundaries in his shaky knock.
Carse’s fellow seamer Matthew Potts (2-65) forced an edge off Salman Agha on a sharp rising delivery with Smith taking another regulation catch to leave the hosts on 302-7.
Agha’s knock of 31 also had five boundaries.
Spinner Jack Leach took his third wicket of the innings when he dismissed Sajid Khan for two, caught at short cover by Joe Root.
Debutant Kamran Ghulam struck a century to anchor Pakistan’s innings on the first day.
England lead the three-match series 1-0 following their innings victory in the first Test, also in Multan.
Pakistan tail frustrates England to reach 358-8 at lunch
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Pakistan tail frustrates England to reach 358-8 at lunch
- Brydon Carse had Mohammad Rizwan caught behind for 41 in the third over of the day
- England lead the three-match series 1-0 after winning the first test by an innings
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.
