Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: While the government is pushing to replace petrol-powered motorcycles with electric two-wheelers, a sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Industries was informed on Monday that Pakistan lacks a dedicated regulatory authority for e-motorcycles, while the absence of a comprehensive lithium battery policy has encouraged the sale of substandard batteries. Soon after the meeting began, sub-committee convener Dr Mehreen Bhutto expressed concern over the fragmented regulatory framework, noting that too many ministries and departments were involved in overseeing different aspects of the e-motorcycle sector. The committee was told that manufacturing licences are issued by the Engineering Development Board (EDB) under the Ministry of Industries and Production, while quality standards for e-motorcycles and their batteries are certified by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), which falls under the Ministry of Science and Technology. Charging infrastructure, the l...

ISLAMABAD: Facing serious duck-curve challenges, the government has decided to make Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) mandatory as part of the upcoming auction of 800MW of surplus power capacity at a wheeling charge to help stabilise electricity supply. After more than 30 years’ delay, the government has announced the auction process for a notional 800MW capacity to gradually move towards a competitive energy market and is currently engaging with the private sector to finalise the bidding schedule. Based on these engagements, particularly with prospective auction participants for feedback on different aspects of the wheeling auction framework, the state-run Independent System and Market Operator (ISMO) under the power division has now proposed three major changes to the Wheeling Auction Process to ensure smooth implementation of wheeling and the auction framework. The first one is the mandatory BESS requirement as part of the auction. Under this, the auction participants would be required to include a BESS...

Nearly 900 residents forced to evacuate homes, 1,300 hectares scorched

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati on Monday referred the controversial legislation seeking to expand lawmakers’ powers and privileges to the house’s standing committee for review. In April, the provincial assembly passed the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026, granting blue passports to members and their spouses, arms licenses, blanket immunity from preventive detention and making the speaker’s permission necessary before arresting members on criminal charges. The law faced harsh criticism from the media and the general public, prompting KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to order a review of the legislation last week. Moreover, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan had also announced that the government would withdraw the controversial clauses and restore them in accordance with the 1988 Act. Addressing a press conference in Peshawar, the information minister said that the committee would re-examine the controversial clauses. Jan said that the act had...

GILGIT: Climate cha­nge-induced disasters continued to batter Gilgit-Bal­tistan (GB) as flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall caused widespread destruction in various parts of Diamer district. According to a statement issued by the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Mana­gement Authority (GBD­MA), flash floods occurred at six locations in Diamer early on Monday. The floods damaged se­v­eral houses, the Kar­akoram Highway (KKH), link roads connecting remote areas, crops, agricultural land, and public and private property. Flooding was reported in Khanbari, Niyat, Thore, Gaspayan, Gasbala, Bunar and other areas. Flood debris entered sev­eral houses, while agricultural land, standing crops and fruit trees were severely affected in the Thunraka area of Thore Valley. GBDMA officials said the main road in Thore Valley was washed away at several places, com­pletely suspending traffic. Power transmission lin­es were also damaged, disrupting electricity supply to Thore Valley and surrounding areas and causing difficulties f...

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