ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Dr. Musadik Malik said on Tuesday the government was providing relief to 86 percent of electricity consumers who were using less than 200 units a month, adding the impact of a Rs50 billion ($179.5 million) subsidy would likely be visible next month.
Malik’s statement came amid a protest by thousands of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) supporters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi for the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday, demanding a reduction in power tariffs, petroleum levy and prices of essential products. The party has announced plans to widen its protests to other cities as well.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this month approved a three-month, Rs50 billion subsidy for electricity consumers using up to 200 units a month. This decision came in response to backlash from the salaried class over the tax-heavy federal budget, which intensified debates about the escalating costs of living in Pakistan.
The announcement followed the Pakistani government’s approval of a roughly 51 percent increase in electricity costs for low-income consumers to meet requirements set by the International Monetary Fuund (IMF) as part of a recently agreed $7 billion loan deal with Islamabad.
“Pakistan’s 86 percent of households use less electricity than 200 units and the government will pay for it,” Malik told reporters at a media briefing in Islamabad. “The Prime Minister has ordered the treasury to withdraw Rs50 billion from the development fund to provide subsidies to these 86 percent consumers [and] the impact of this will be visible from next month.”
The minister said there had been a lot of “noise” about electricity bills and the government was concerned about the masses.
“But this is not enough because the price of electricity is high. That’s why three, four committees have been formed,” he said. “I have even been made head of a committee and every week, we are reporting to the Prime Minister. They will find a solution that will benefit all.”
Analysts believe while a short-term relief will not impact the IMF program, but extending it beyond September could pose problems, stressing the need for a long-term solution to the issue.
Shehbaz Rana, a journalist who closely covered the IMF program, said since the government withdrew this Rs50 billion amount from the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) to provide temporary relief to electricity consumers, there would be no negative impact on the IMF program in the short term.
“If the government tried to further extend this temporarily beyond the end of September, then there might be issues for the IMF program,” he told Arab News.
Rana pointed out the government’s decision to temporarily freeze electricity rates for consumers using up to 200 units a month was only a “partial solution.”
He said the government had postponed planned increases of “14 percent to 51 percent” in electricity prices, and this deferral, effective from July 1 to September 30, was not a permanent fix.
“From the 1st of October, the new rates, which means up to 51 percent increase for the residential consumers, will take effect for all classifications of the residential consumers whether these are the users of 200 units or above 200 units,” Rana said.
Dr. Khaqan Najeeb, an economist and a former spokesperson of the finance ministry, said the IMF would likely agree with this measure as this money was being taken out of the PSDP and did not disturb the overall fiscal framework.
“At the general level, there must be a realization that the electricity sector in particular and the energy sector overall need a restructuring effort in terms of reorganizing the sector, which mainly is a governance issue, and reorganizing is now a necessity in the next three to five years,” he told Arab News.
Dr. Ali Salman, executive director of an Islamabad-based Policy Research Institute of Market Economy (PRIME) think tank, stated that while the IMF might not have had an issue with the measure, it was merely a “temporary fix” and would not address the underlying problem.
“Obviously the cost of electricity is too high for low-income households and instead of showing this relief in an unsustainable manner, the government can cut the costs of the electricity bill by reducing the tax collection on these bills by about 25 percent of the bill which we pay,” he said.
Every time, he noted, the government reallocated the budget from something to provide temporary relief, describing it as a practice that was “neither advisable nor sustainable.”
Pakistan says providing power subsidy to 86 percent consumers amid cost-of-living protests
https://arab.news/yvq3b
Pakistan says providing power subsidy to 86 percent consumers amid cost-of-living protests
- Pakistan this month approved $179.5 million subsidy for electricity consumers using up to 200 units a month
- Analysts believe short-term relief won’t affect country’s IMF program, but extending it could cause problems
Islamabad says Iranian authorities confirm killing of two Pakistanis in Sistan-Baluchistan
- Pakistan says efforts underway to repatriate bodies of its nationals, Mujahid and Mohammed Faheem, from Iran
- Pakistan and Iran are often at odds over instability on their shared, porous border plagued by militant attacks
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed the killing of two Pakistanis in Iran’s volatile Sistan-Baluchistan province, saying that efforts were underway to repatriate the bodies.
In a brief statement, the foreign office spokesperson said Iranian authorities have confirmed the killing of Pakistani nationals named Mujahid and Mohammed Faheem in Sistan-Baluchistan. However, the statement did not mention how the two were killed.
The spokesperson said Pakistan’s embassy in Tehran is in “active communication” with Iranian authorities, who were extending the necessary support and assistance.
“Efforts are being made to repatriate the dead bodies as soon as necessary administrative and legal requirements are fulfilled,” he said.
Thousands of Pakistanis, mostly from economically disadvantaged areas, frequently cross into Iran to take up informal work in sectors such as vehicle repair, construction and agriculture.
One of Iran’s poorest regions, Sistan-Baluchistan on the border with Pakistan has long been plagued by unrest involving drug-smuggling gangs, rebels from the Baloch minority and religiously motivated militants.
Eight Pakistanis were killed in its Mehrestan County in April. The attack was claimed by the Balochistan National Army (BNA), one of several separatist outfits operating in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province.
Pakistan and Iran have had a history of rocky relations despite a number of commercial pacts, with Islamabad being historically closer to Saudi Arabia and the United States.
Both countries are often at odds over instability on their shared porous border, routinely trading blame for not rooting out militancy.
Pakistan energy minister says net metering to be reformed, not scrapped
- Net metering allows consumers to generate electricity through solar panels and sell excess power back to the national grid
- Minister says expansion of net metering now impacting national grid, reforms needed to address this in a “timely manner”
KARACHI: Pakistan will not abolish its solar net metering policy but is working to reform the mechanism to make it more “transparent and sustainable,” Energy Minister Sardar Awais Leghari said on Wednesday.
Net metering allows consumers to generate electricity through solar panels and sell excess power back to the national grid, receiving credits or monetary compensation in return. The policy was introduced in 2017 to promote renewable energy and ease pressure on the national grid.
“The government is not abolishing net metering but is considering changing its current mechanism to a more effective, transparent and sustainable model,” the Ministry of Energy’s Power Division said in a statement.
The minister said the expansion of net metering was now impacting the national grid and reforms were needed to address this in a “timely manner.”
Pakistan’s current policy pays Rs21 per unit of solar electricity, resulting in a government subsidy of Rs1.90 per unit, according to the energy ministry. Officials say the cost is ultimately borne by domestic and industrial consumers, effectively subsidizing wealthier users who can afford to install solar panels.
Leghari said the government may align the solar purchase rate with overall energy procurement prices, allowing it to adjust with market fluctuations. However, he stressed that the aim was not to eliminate incentives.
“We are not saying that net metering consumers should provide us with electricity at the rates of the cheapest sources of electricity,” Leghari said. “These reforms are not a deterrent, but a step toward a better, balanced and sustainable system.”
He said the typical payback period for solar investments in Pakistan was around three years, provided that consumers use 40 percent of the electricity they generate.
Leghari also said the government was in discussions with the International Monetary Fund about the scheme but stressed “there is no direct financial pressure on us.”
In a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Leghari said the government was reviewing all stakeholder proposals and would not take steps that harmed businesses.
“We strongly hope that any changes in these regulations will be in the best interest of all stakeholders, the national grid and the electricity consumers of Pakistan,” he said.
In January, Leghari called for a review of the net metering policy, saying it was becoming financially unsustainable. A government report from last year said the existing net metering framework had shifted a burden of Rs103 billion ($366 million) onto other electricity consumers in 2024.
Pakistan has set a goal of generating 60 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and cutting projected carbon emissions by 50 percent. But the country remains far behind on those targets, despite growing solar adoption and abundant sunlight across most regions.
Pakistani PM reiterates gratitude to Trump, Gulf nations for India ceasefire
- US President Donald Trump brokered ceasefire between arch-rivals India and Pakistan on May 10
- Shehbaz Sharif to visit Saudi Arabia on Thursday to thank Kingdom for support during India standoff
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday thanked US President Donald Trump and Gulf countries for helping defuse Pakistan’s tensions with India following an armed conflict between the nuclear-armed nations last month.
Trump announced he had helped broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan on May 10 after the worst fighting between the two countries since 1999. Following weeks of tensions, India and Pakistan pounded each other with artillery, fighter jets, missiles and drones in May before agreeing to cease hostilities.
Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also engaged both Indian and Pakistani officials throughout the conflict to help defuse tensions.
“[US] President [Donald] Trump has shown, beyond a ray of doubt and imagination, that he is a man for peace,” Sharif said at a ceremony at the US embassy in connection with the upcoming American Independence Day.
“He is a man for promoting peace and beneficial business needs. He is a man who is against escalation,” he added.
Days after the ceasefire agreement was announced, Trump said he used trade to defuse tensions between India and Pakistan.
Sharif noted Trump had advised both countries to promote trade and investments instead of fighting each other. The Pakistani premier appreciated Trump’s “outstanding contribution” to broker the ceasefire.
The Pakistani premier hoped the ceasefire would last between the two countries and lead to increased trade and investment.
“I hope and pray to God Almighty that this will become a long, lasting ceasefire on which we can build an edifice of investments, trade, pollution and so on so forth,” he said.
The Pakistani premier also appreciated the role played by Middle Eastern countries in resolving the dangerous conflict.
“And here, obviously, I’d like to mention the role of our friendly and brotherly countries in the Gulf, in the Middle East, who proactively coordinated with us and supported President Trump’s genuine efforts,” Sharif said.
Sharif will travel to Saudi Arabia on a day-long visit to the Kingdom on Thursday, Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said.
The Pakistani premier will thank the Saudi leadership for its solidarity and support to Pakistan throughout the India standoff, Dar said.
Pakistan, UK discuss strengthening cooperation in railways sector
- Pakistan Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi meets British High Commissioner Jane Marriott in Islamabad
- Pakistan’s railway sector faces several challenges which caused train derailments, fatal accidents
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi and British High Commissioner Jane Marriott on Wednesday discussed bilateral cooperation between the two nations with a special focus on railways, state-run media reported.
Pakistan’s railway sector faces several challenges such as an aging infrastructure, outdated tracks, locomotives and signal systems. Poor maintenance and a lack of modern safety measures often contribute to train derailments and accidents. Notable tragedies include the 2005 Ghotki train disaster, which killed over 130 people and a 2021 train collision that left at least 65 people dead.
As opposed to that, the UK has one of the densest railway networks in Europe with almost all major towns and cities connected by rail.
“Pakistan and the United Kingdom have emphasized joint measures to further strengthen their bilateral trade and economic relations, with special focus on the railways sector,” state-run media reported following Abbasi’s meeting with Marriot in Islamabad.
State broadcaster Radio Pakistan said Abbasi called for “a comprehensive strategy” between Pakistan and the United Kingdom to develop and modernize the former’s railway sector.
“He said Pakistan is ready to fully benefit from UK’s expertise in modernizing the railways infrastructure in the country and improving performance of this sector,” Radio Pakistan said.
Abbasi said the two countries would continue to work together on mutual interest railways projects that will benefit their economies and improve public transportation.
Pakistan has recently attempted to improve its railway infrastructure to ensure economic growth and development.
In March, Pakistan and United Arab Emirates (UAE) officials agreed to expand bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the railways sector.
Abbasi had said Pakistan Railways is continuously working to improve its services through long-term agreements with domestic and international suppliers, emphasizing that Islamabad offers a business-friendly environment and presents significant opportunities for investors.
Pakistan reports second death of 2025 from deadly brain-eating amoeba
- Naegleria fowleri, with a 98 percent fatality rate, spreads when contaminated water enters through the nose
- Victim, a Karachi resident, used water at home and nearby mosque for ablution, says Sindh government
KARACHI: A 23-year-old man died in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi this week after contracting Naegleria fowleri, the Sindh Health Department said on Wednesday, marking the second death of the year from the deadly brain-eating amoeba.
Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as the brain-eating amoeba, has a fatality rate of over 98 percent. It is transmitted when contaminated water enters the body through the nose and cannot be spread from person to person.
Pakistan has witnessed a rise in Naegleria fowleri cases in recent years, with more than 100 reported deaths since the first confirmed infection in 2008. Five fatalities were recorded in 2024 alone.
In the latest case the deceased, a resident of Karachi’s Orangi Town area, was hospitalized on May 30 after suffering from symptoms on May 28. He died on June 3 after the presence of Naegleria fowleri was confirmed in the patient on June 1.
“Upon investigation, it was noted that the patient had not participated in any water-related activities,” the Sindh Health Department said. “His only exposure was regular use of water at home and use of water at a nearby local mosque to perform ablution.”
Symptoms of Naegleria fowleri infection include severe headache, altered sense of taste, high fever, sensitivity to light, nausea and vomiting. Death typically occurs within five to seven days of infection.
The health department confirmed this was the second death in Pakistan from Naegleria fowleri in 2025. The first death was reported in March when a 36-year-old woman died from the same disease. She was also a resident of Karachi.
A 2021 study by the Sindh Health Department found that 95 percent of water samples in Karachi, Sindh’s provincial capital, were unfit for human consumption.
Experts say the contamination leads to the spreading of the brain-eating amoeba among the city’s residents.
