Pakistan Regulator Slams Power Firms After 11 Electrocuted in Rains
Pakistan’s energy regulator blasted power distributors after 11 people were electrocuted during July’s monsoon rains, even as it weighed a proposal to cut nationwide electricity tariffs by Rs1.69 per unit for one month. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Thursday wrapped up its public hearing on July’s fuel charges adjustment, a petition filed […]
NEECA warns farm inefficiency deepens food risks as floods rise
Pakistan’s agricultural backbone is at risk as recurrent flooding collides with outdated, energy-intensive farming practices, driving up costs for farmers and threatening national food security, experts warned. The country’s heavy reliance on diesel-powered irrigation, inefficient tube wells, and obsolete machinery is leaving both livelihoods and food supplies vulnerable to climate shocks. The National Energy Efficiency […]
Trump doubles tariffs on Indian goods, risking $85B in exports
Markets tumble as New Delhi vows to stick with Russian oil despite U.S. pressure U.S. President Donald Trump has doubled down on trade pressure against India, imposing an additional 25% tariff on Indian-origin goods, raising overall duties to 50% — one of the steepest trade penalties ever leveled by Washington. The decision puts at risk […]
Pakistan unveils New EV policy to drive clean future
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday rolled out Pakistan’s New Energy Vehicle (NEV) Policy 2025-30, touting it as a landmark step to curb emissions, cut fuel imports and put the country on the road to a cleaner, youth-driven economy. Unveiling the plan at a ceremony in Islamabad, Shehbaz said the policy reflects Pakistan’s national commitment […]
Punjab Defies IMF Fiscal Curbs with Rs405 Billion Central Bank Borrowing
Punjab has quietly turned into Pakistan’s fiscal outlier, racking up Rs405 billion ($1.4 billion) in central bank borrowing within just 38 days of the new fiscal year—an amount dwarfing the combined borrowings of all other provinces and running counter to the austerity drive enforced by the International Monetary Fund. From July 1 to August 8, […]
Citi Pharma overtakes rivals as Pakistan’s largest antibiotics producer with Chinese Backing
Citi Pharma has become Pakistan’s largest antibiotics maker after a China-backed expansion that lifted output tenfold to 100,000 vials a day.
Lawmakers Urge Power Regulator to Rein in Failing Utilities
Pakistan’s parliamentarians pressed the power regulator to tighten oversight of electricity distributors after rampant outages, arbitrary billing and poor service left consumers bearing the brunt of a sector already mired in circular debt of more than Rs1.6 trillion. The Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, chaired by lawmaker Malik Ibrar Ahmad, told the National Electric Power […]
Audit says Jazz overbilled Rs6.6b; regulator faulted for lax oversight
Pakistan’s biggest mobile operator, Jazz, has been accused of overbilling its customers by Rs6.58 billion, with a government audit faulting the telecom regulator for enabling arbitrary price hikes. The Auditor General of Pakistan, in a report for fiscal 2023-24, said the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) failed to enforce rules requiring prior approval of tariffs. While […]
Pakistan Plans Sweeping Industrial Policy to Cut Costs, Revive Sick Units
Pakistan is rolling out a five-year industrial policy to slash production costs, revive sick factories and boost exports, in a push to make its manufacturing sector more competitive. The plan includes cheaper power, investor-friendly reforms and stricter contract enforcement, according to officials briefed on the matter. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries Haroon […]
IMF presses Pakistan to cut finance secretary from SBP board, fill top vacancies
The International Monetary Fund has urged Pakistan to remove the finance secretary from the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) board and swiftly appoint two missing deputy governors, moves the lender says are vital to strengthen the central bank’s independence. In a governance report, the IMF also recommended amending the Banking Companies Ordinance of 1962 to […]
