ISLAMABAD: Pakistan called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan on Wednesday, stressing the need for a political resolution to the nearly two-year conflict that has displaced about 12 million people, roughly a quarter of the African state’s population.
Hostilities in Sudan erupted in April 2023 due to a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), escalating into a full-scale civil war. The fighting has caused a severe humanitarian crisis, with millions facing acute hunger and displacement.
Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, urged all parties to implement an unconditional ceasefire and engaging in dialogue for a sustainable political resolution during a Security Council briefing.
“We call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire during the holy month of Ramadan,” Jadoon told the world body. “Both parties must respect the inviolability of human life during this blessed month.”
Jadoon reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to Sudan’s unity, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as he condemned attempts to establish parallel governments, warning that such actions threatened to further fragment the country.
Highlighting the dire humanitarian situation, he mentioned the acute hunger and food insecurity affecting millions, noting the crisis could have serious repercussions beyond Sudan’s borders.
He called for urgent international action, noting that over 24.6 million people face acute food insecurity while commending the Sudanese government’s efforts to open additional air, sea and land borders for humanitarian assistance.
The Pakistani diplomat also demanded an end to violations of international humanitarian law, emphasizing the need for the full implementation of the Jeddah Declaration on the Protection of Civilians, which was agreed upon by both warring parties.
“We reiterate our condemnation of Rapid Support Forces (RSF)’s attack on the only functioning hospital in the besieged El-Fasher, the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital, which took more than 70 innocent lives,” he said, referring to the targeting of the medical facility last month.
Jadoon stressed the importance of a comprehensive and inclusive political process to address Sudan’s multidimensional challenges.
He called on the UN to explore ways to support the Sudanese government’s proposed political roadmap as part of a broader peace initiative.
Pakistan calls for immediate ceasefire in Sudan during Ramadan, urges political resolution
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Pakistan calls for immediate ceasefire in Sudan during Ramadan, urges political resolution
- Pakistani diplomat at UN condemns attack on Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital that killed more than 70
- He warns against attempts to establish parallel governments in Sudan, saying it will fragment the country
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.
