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. ISLAMABAD: The Power Division on Wednesday said that the country’s power system remained stable and efficient during February 2026, successfully meeting electricity demand that remained higher than anticipated. According to a spokesperson, both electricity generation and consumption exceeded anticipated levels during the month, reflecting increased utilization of the system. He noted that seasonal factors such as reduced hydel availability, which is typical for this period, along with temporary outages of certain generation units, influenced the overall energy mix. Despite these conditions, the system was managed prudently through established operational protocols. He said strict compliance with the merit order dispatch…

Maritime. Photo: AFP (file) LONDON: Gulf states and Western nations strongly criticised Iran at an emergency meeting Wednesday of the UN’s maritime body, convened amid growing fears for thousands of stranded ships and seafarers. Numerous nations used opening statements at the International Maritime Organization gathering to lambast Tehran’s response to US-Israeli strikes, which has seen Iran target Gulf countries and commercial shipping. That has crippled maritime trade in or near the Strait of Hormuz, leaving around 20,000 seafarers stuck on approximately 3,200 vessels west of the crucial chokepoint, according to the IMO. “Qatar resolutely condemns the attacks and threats from…

Initiative will help produce value-added products, increase incomes of farmers, artisans ISLAMABAD: A major initiative aimed at transforming livestock fibre into high-value products has been planned to accelerate rural industrialisation in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), thereby opening new income streams for farmers and artisans. The project is titled “Value Added Livestock Products (Wool, Hair and Mohair) for Rural Industrialisation of Pakistan (G-B and AJK)” and carries a total cost of Rs300 million. The three-year project, which will run from July 2026 to June 2029), is planned to be implemented across all districts of G-B and the…

.Tehreek-e-Kashmir (TeK) UK President Fahim Kayani. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE GENEVA: President of Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK and President of the All Parties International Kashmir Coordination Committee Fahim Kayani has expressed grave concerns over the human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). He was addressing the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva. During his address, Kayani highlighted what he described as a “deteriorating human rights situation” in IIOJK, stating that political freedoms, due process, property rights, and the right to self-determination are facing increasing pressure. He drew attention to the continued detention of hundreds…

Aurangzeb says burden on public to be minimised as monitoring tightened, hoarding curbed ISLAMABAD: Amid mounting global price pressures, the government on Wednesday sought to reassure the public over fuel availability, saying supplies would remain uninterrupted while efforts continue to keep the burden on consumers as low as possible. Chairing a meeting of the petroleum price monitoring committee, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said market conditions and supply would be monitored on a daily basis, while authorities directed provinces to act against hoarding and ensure smooth availability during Eidul Fitr and the ongoing harvest season. “The government will ensure the supply…

.A power transmission tower is seen a day after a country-wide power breakdown, in Karachi, Pakistan, January 24, 2023. Photo: Reuters ISLAMABAD: Power consumers across the country may face another financial burden as the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) has sought an increase of Rs1.64 per unit in electricity tariffs under the monthly fuel adjustment for February. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) is scheduled to hear the request on March 31. If approved, the increase is expected to impose an additional burden of over Rs14 billion on consumers nationwide, including those in Karachi. According to CPPA data, 7.696…

.Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan. Photo: File ISLAMABAD: Senior PTI leaders on Wednesday announced the launch of a post-Eid movement aimed at securing the release of party’s founding chairman Imran Khan and restoring what they described as constitutional rule in the country. The drive has been named “PTI Founder Release Peace Movement”. Addressing a news conference, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the movement would begin after Eid and would be conducted in a peaceful manner. He said millions of young Pakistanis were facing disillusionment amid rising poverty and a deteriorating economy. “It is our duty to steer Pakistan…

. ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) recovered a record Rs11.5 trillion in just three years, the country’s premier anti-corruption body told the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice in its full report on recoveries and reforms on Wednesday. According to the report, NAB saved Rs11 trillion by reclaiming 4.85 million acres of government land. It also returned Rs213 billion to 129,000 victims of housing society frauds, while freezing assets worth Rs85.4 billion in anti-money laundering operations. “For every rupee spent on the institution, Rs629 has been recovered,” the report stated. It noted that restrictions preventing NAB from pursuing…

Benchmark index rises 287.51 points to close at 44,186.96. PHOTO: FILE KARACHI: Investor sentiment remained firmly upbeat at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday as sustained buying powered the benchmark KSE-100 index, which closed sharply higher by nearly 4,300 points, or 2.85%. During the day, the index climbed to the intra-day high of 154,684 and touched the low of 150,284. By around 1:00pm, gains stood at approximately 2.49%, reflecting steady investor confidence. Notable buying interest was observed in sectors such as auto assemblers, cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration, oil marketing companies, power generation and refineries, indicating…

ISLAMABAD: The Lahore High Court (LHC), setting aside its earlier order allowing former federal minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed to travel abroad for Umrah, ruled that the freedom of movement enshrined in Article 15 of the Constitution is not absolute. “Although the Constitution guarantees freedom of movement as a fundamental right, the same is not absolute in nature. The framers of the Constitution have expressly qualified this right by making it ‘subject to reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the public interest.’ “The constitutional scheme, therefore, recognizes that the right of an individual to move freely must sometimes yield to the…