Pakistan unveils new building efficiency codes to cut summer power demand, boost industrial competitiveness

An aerial view of the commercial district of Pakistan’s port city of Karachi on January 27, 2023. (AFP/File)
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Updated 22 October 2025
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Pakistan unveils new building efficiency codes to cut summer power demand, boost industrial competitiveness

  • Energy-saving insulation models presented to PM’s aide as part of national sustainability push
  • Government says new building codes will help reduce transmission costs, curb peak energy load

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government has rolled out new energy-efficient building codes and insulation models aimed at cutting power demand during peak summer months and improving industrial competitiveness, officials said on Wednesday.

The move comes as Pakistan continues to face chronic energy shortfalls and soaring demand during the summer, when industrial and household electricity use typically overwhelms the grid. The country relies heavily on imported fossil fuels, which contribute to high power generation costs and recurring balance-of-payments pressures. Energy experts have long urged greater investment in conservation and efficiency to reduce dependence on expensive imports and stabilize supplies.

On Wednesday, the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) briefed Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Industry and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan on new energy-saving technologies for homes and factories, underscoring the importance of sustainable building design in lowering national energy costs.

“Modern technology and sustainable energy are the need of the hour for Pakistan,” Khan was quoted as saying in a statement. “Insulation in buildings offers an effective solution to lower transmission costs and energy demand during summer.”

NTDC Chairman told the meeting insulation helps maintain optimal indoor temperatures and significantly reduces electricity consumption. He added that Pakistan has already introduced building energy-use codes, and implementation has begun under federal directives.

Khan said the government’s energy policy was directly linked to the country’s economic growth, noting that “GDP expansion depends on how efficiently we manage energy costs.”

He directed the Engineering Development Board to work with NTDC to monitor progress on the initiative and report developments to the federal cabinet.

Officials said the push for sustainable energy use is part of broader reforms to stabilize Pakistan’s power sector, which faces chronic supply shortages, high costs, and rising summer demand. The initiative also aligns with Pakistan’s commitments to adopt climate-resilient practices and reduce energy waste across industrial and residential sectors.

A delegation from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) also invited Khan to attend the upcoming Asia Transit Summit 2025, where energy efficiency and green infrastructure will be key discussion topics. 


India and Pakistan set for World Cup blockbuster as boycott averted

Updated 14 February 2026
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India and Pakistan set for World Cup blockbuster as boycott averted

  • With bilateral cricket a casualty of their relations, emotions run high whenever the neighbors meet in multi-team events
  • For Pakistan, opener Sahibzada Farhan has looked in fine form but Babar Azam’s strike rate continues to polarize ​opinion

India and Pakistan will clash in the Twenty20 World Cup in Colombo ​on Sunday, still feeling the aftershocks of a tumultuous fortnight in which Pakistan’s boycott threat — later reversed — nearly blew a hole in the tournament’s marquee fixture.

With bilateral cricket a casualty of their fraught relations, emotions run high whenever the bitter neighbors lock horns in multi-team events at neutral venues.

India’s strained relations with another neighbor, Bangladesh, have further tangled the geopolitics around the World Cup.

When Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the 20-team field for refusing to tour India over safety ‌concerns, the regional ‌chessboard shifted.

Pakistan decided to boycott the Group A ​contest ‌against ⁠India in ​solidarity ⁠with Bangladesh, jeopardizing a lucrative fixture that sits at the intersection of sport, commerce, and geopolitics.

Faced with the prospect of losing millions of dollars in evaporating advertising revenue, the broadcasters panicked. The governing International Cricket Council (ICC) held hectic behind-the-scenes parleys and eventually brokered a compromise to salvage the tournament’s most sought-after contest.

Strictly on cricketing merit, however, the rivalry has been one-sided.

Defending champions India have a 7-1 record against Pakistan in the ⁠tournament’s history and they underlined that dominance at last year’s ‌Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

India beat ‌Pakistan three times in that single event, including a ​stormy final marred by provocative gestures ‌and snubbed handshakes.

Former India captain Rohit Sharma does not believe in the “favorites” tag, ‌especially when the arch-rivals clash.

“It’s such a funny game,” Rohit, who led India to the title in the T20 World Cup two years ago, recently said.

“You can’t just go and think that it’s a two-point victory for us. You just have to play good cricket ‌on that particular day to achieve those points.”

INDIA’S EDGE

Both teams have opened their World Cup campaigns with back-to-back wins, yet ⁠India still appear ⁠to hold a clear edge.

Opener Abhishek Sharma and spinner Varun Chakravarthy currently top the batting and bowling rankings respectively.

Abhishek is doubtful for the Pakistan match though as he continues to recover from a stomach infection that kept him out of their first two matches.

Ishan Kishan has reinvented himself as a top-order linchpin, skipper Suryakumar Yadav has regained form, while Rinku Singh has settled into the finisher’s role in India’s explosive lineup.

Mystery spinner Chakravarthy and the ever-crafty Jasprit Bumrah anchor the spin and pace units, while Hardik Pandya’s all-round spark is pivotal.

For Pakistan, opener Sahibzada Farhan has looked in fine form but Babar Azam’s strike rate continues to polarize ​opinion.

Captain Salman Agha will bank on ​spin-bowling all-rounder Saim Ayub, but the potential trump card is off-spinner Usman Tariq, whose slinging, side-arm action has intrigued opponents and fans alike.