Pakistan

• Transmission system suffers from overloading, underutilisation • 116 of 192 transformers overloaded beyond 80pc capacity • Regulator urges fast-tracking projects, upgrading substations • Says up to 1,750MW of cheaper power frequently curtailed ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s nati­onal transmission system, one of the largest in the world, suffers from a damaging mix of overloading and underutilisation, creating operational constraints that unde­rmine merit-based power supply and impose an unquantifiable financial burden on consumers and the national economy, the National Electric Power Regul­atory Authority (Nepra) has said. In a detailed review of the national grid system, the regulator pointed out that the backbone of the transmission network — 500kV and 220kV lines — remained “mostly overloaded” at the close of FY2024-25. It said the National Grid Company (NGC) faced critical overloading in several sections of its 500kV and 220kV network, particularly during summer peak demand. “Many grid stations and power transfo...

BENGALURU: Gold and silver hit record highs on Monday, driven by a flight to safety after US Presi­dent Donald Trump warn­ed of extra tariffs on some European countries in a dispute over Greenland. Spot gold jumped 1.7 per cent to $4,672.49 an ounce by 12:05pm ET (1705 GMT), after scaling a record peak of $4,689.39. US gold futures for February delivery advanced 1.8pc to $4,677.70 an ounce. Trump threatened several European allies with a series of escalating tariffs on Saturday unless the US is allowed to buy Greenland, intensifying a dispute over Denmark’s vast Arctic island. Markets expect the Fed to leave rates on hold at its meeting over January 27-28 but are pricing in at least two cuts of 25 basis points this year. Elsewhere, spot silver climbed 5pc to $94.41 an ounce after hitting a record high of $94.61. Silver has risen more than 32pc since the start of the year. Analysts at Citi Research said they remain tactically bullish on precious metals, setting price targets of $5,000 an ounce for gold and $10...

ISLAMABAD - Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan on Monday said Pakistan is preparing to launch its first-ever National Women Entrepreneurship Policy, a landmark initiative that will place women entrepreneurs at the center of economic planning.

ISLAMABAD - The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Monday decided to conduct a comprehensive fire safety audit of all high-rise public and private buildings in Islamabad and strengthen emergency preparedness, including the use of modern firefighting technologies such as drones.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Air Force contingent comprising F-16 Block-52 fighter aircraft, alongside dedicated air and ground crew, arrived at King Abdulaziz Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to participate in the multinational aerial combat Exercise Spears of Victory-2026.

ISLAMABAD - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar yesterday met British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott, where the two sides exchanged views on key regional issues and current international developments, the Foreign Office said.

ISLAMABAD - As the Local Government polls once again postponed for the third time, the top election regulatory body yesterday urged amendments to Section-219 of the Elections Act, 2017, to prevent federal and provincial governments from altering local government laws once an election cycle begins or a term expires.

ISLAMABAD - Three newly appointed judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Monday sworn in as permanent judges of the court.

ISLAMABAD - Leader of the Opposition Mehmood Khan Achakzai in Monday’s National Assembly session urged the need to make the Parliament ‘a fountain of power’ by setting aside the blame game focus on collaborative governance to deal with national challenges.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that Pakistan, essentially an agrarian economy, held immense and largely untapped potential in agriculture and can transform its agri-sector not in years, but in months by adopting modern technologies, improving productivity and strengthening cooperation with China.

President, PM assure support to Sindh govt CM Murad announces Rs10 million compensation for family of each victim Authorities warn death toll could exceed 50 as recovery operations continue.

An explosion tore through a Chinese-run restaurant in a hotel in a heavily guarded part of Afghanistan’s capital on Monday, killing a Chinese national and six Afghans and injuring several others, including a child, officials said. The restaurant was in the commercial Shahr-i-Naw neighbourhood of Kabul that includes office buildings, shopping complexes and embassies, police spokesperson Khalid Zadran said. The district is considered one of the safest in the city. The Chinese noodle restaurant was jointly run by a Chinese Muslim, Abdul Majid, his wife, and an Afghan partner, Abdul Jabbar Mahmood, and served the Chinese Muslim community, Zadran said. One Chinese national, identified as Ayub, and six Afghans were killed in the blast, which occurred near the kitchen, while several others were injured, Zadran added. Videos shared on social media showed debris scattered on the street outside and smoke spewing from a large hole torn into the front of the restaurant building. “So far, we have received 20 people at our...

KARACHI: The death toll from the Gul Plaza blaze rose to at least 23 on Monday, with Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab saying that 65 people remained missing. The fire had erupted on Saturday night. The plaza, parts of which collapsed due to the blaze, was a ground-plus-three-storey building with 1,200 shops spread over 8,000 square yards. While the fire at the mall located on M.A Jinnah Road was said to be doused after more than 24 hours on Sunday, firefighting efforts had to resume on Monday as flames reignited from the smouldering debris. In the evening, Karachi South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that 23 bodies had been recovered from the debris. He added that the body parts of some of the victims had been recovered. In a statement, Rescue 1122 Chief Operating Officer (COO) Dr Abid Jalal said that while “more than 20 bodies have been recovered, the final number of dead cannot be stated at the moment”. “Some bodies have been recovered in the form of body parts from various locations,” he said...

Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani has died, his foundation said on Monday. The cause of death was not immediately known. Usually known only by his first name, Valentino was 93, and had retired in 2008. Founder of the eponymous brand, Valentino scaled the heights of haute couture, created a business empire and introduced a new colour to the fashion world, the so-called ‘Valentino Red’. “Valentino Garavani passed away today at his Roman residence, surrounded by his loved ones,” the foundation said on Instagram. The lying in state will be on Wednesday and Thursday, while the funeral will take place in Rome on Friday at 11am (3pm PKT), it added. View this post on Instagram ‘I love beauty’ Valentino was ranked alongside Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld as the last of the great designers from an era before fashion became a global, highly commercial industry run as much by accountants and marketing executives as the couturiers. Lagerfeld passed away in 2019, while Armani died in September. Scaling the hei...

In his first speech after being appointed the opposition leader in the National Assembly, Tehreek Tahafuz-i-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai on Monday vowed unconditional support for strengthening the lower house of Parliament. It is worth mentioning that several parts of Achakzai’s nearly 30-minute speech were muted in the NA’s livestream. At the outset of his address, Achakzai said: “The TTAP makes a promise to the whole country — if you wish to strengthen this house … you will receive our unconditional support. “Without this house, we are nothing,” he said, adding that the NA should be at the centre of Pakistan’s policies. “Mistakes happen in the world. Sit, think, sleep on it, as they say in English. What’s happened has happened but having animosity and hurling abuse at each other will not help us,” he said. Quoting the Holy Quran, Achakzai said that work which focused on welfare and aid must be supported. “Whenever you talk about the public’s welfare, our votes will be with you,” he asse...

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sought an amendment in the Elections Act, 2017 to ensure the timely conduct of local government elections across the country, it emerged on Monday. In a letter sent to the Parliamentary Affairs Division secretary, the commission has proposed an amendment in Section 219(1) of the Elections Act. Section 219(1) of the Elections Act in its original form reads: “The commission shall conduct elections to the local governments under the applicable local government law, and the rules framed thereunder, as may be applicable to a province, cantonments or Islamabad Capital Territory.” The proposed amendment by the ECP, however, states: “The commission shall conduct elections to the local governments under the applicable local government law at the time of the expiry of term or dissolution of the local governments, and the rules framed thereunder, as may be applicable to a province, cantonments or Islamabad Capital Territory.” Explaining the rationale for the propo...

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee on Monday announced that the moon marking the beginning of Shaban was not sighted anywhere in the country.

ISLAMABAD: PTI Senator Ali Zafar said on Monday that Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani had communicated to him that Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas would be notified as the opposition leader in the upper house of Parliament by tomorrow (Tuesday). Speaking to Dawn, Zafar said he had submitted a letter to the Senate chairperson, seeking the appointment of Abbas. According to the PTI senator, Gilani had accepted the opposition’s demand of appointing Abbas to the vacant position and said that an announcement about his appointment would also be made in the House. In a post on X, Zafar said that he had a meeting with the Senate chairman regarding the appointment of the opposition leader. “[The] chairman informed me that he has approved the appointment and directed the secretariat to issue a formal notification,” Zafar said. He welcomed the decision, saying that the party would be able convey its perspective in the Senate more effectively. The opposition leader’s posts in the Senate an...

The Rawalpindi Board of Education has announced a new increase in examination fees for matriculation and intermediate students, a move that has raised concerns among parents and learners from low- and middle-income backgrounds.

India signed a $3 billion deal on Monday to buy liquefied natural gas from the United Arab Emirates, making it the UAE’s top customer, as the leaders of both countries held talks to strengthen trade and defence ties. The agreement was signed during a very brief two-hour visit to India by UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They pledged to double bilateral trade to $200bn in six years and form a strategic defence partnership. Abu Dhabi state firm ADNOC Gas will supply 0.5 million metric tons of LNG a year to India’s Hindustan Petroleum Corp for 10 years, the companies said. ADNOC Gas said the agreement brings the total value of its contracts with India to over $20bn. “India is now the UAE’s largest customer and a very important part of ADNOC Gas’ LNG strategy,” the company said. The UAE is India’s third largest trading partner and Sheikh Mohammed was accompanied by a government delegation that included his defence and foreign ministers. The two ...