Day: August 1, 2026

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi on Friday expressed profound grief and sorrow over the loss of 34 precious lives in a coal mine accident in the Soranj area on the outskirts of Quetta.

The minister extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of the deceased miners and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls and for strength and patience for their families to bear the irreparable loss.

In his condolence message, Hanif Abbasi said that miners are a valuable asset to the country’s economy and stressed that strict implementation of safety regulations was essential to protect their lives.

He emphasized that safety mechanisms, monitoring systems and occupational standards in coal mines should be further strengthened to prevent tragic incidents like the Soranj mine accident in the future.

The minister said that protecting the lives and property of the working class was the foremost responsibility of the state and the relevant institutions, urging effective measures to avoid such tragedies.

Islamabad: Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), Pakistan’s largest power distribution company, has saved the national exchequer more than Rs58 billion by reducing its financial gap from Rs79 billion to Rs21 billion over the past two years through aggressive loss reduction, improved recoveries and power sector reforms, setting a new national benchmark for performance, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) on Thursday.

The company achieved a recovery rate of 101.05pc during the period, surpassing the 100pc benchmark set by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) for the first time.

Distribution losses declined from 15.8pc to 11.86pc, marking a four percentage point reduction , the largest two year loss reduction recorded by any electricity distribution company in the country’s history.

The achievement carries significant financial weight as LESCO, with an annual revenue base exceeding Rs1 trillion, generates an estimated Rs10bn improvement for every one percentage point reduction in losses.

The four point decline has therefore translated into one of the biggest efficiency gains ever recorded in Pakistan’s power distribution sector.

Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari said LESCO’s performance demonstrated that sustained oversight, accountability and data driven management could deliver tangible results in the power sector.

The ministry said the minister had closely monitored loss and recovery trends across distribution companies, ensuring management teams remained focused on meeting targets and improving field level enforcement.

According to the statement, the turnaround was driven by the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and supported by reforms introduced by the Power Division, including digitisation of billing and recovery systems, stricter anti theft measures, network modernisation, continuous performance monitoring and customer focused initiatives.

The ministry said independent boards of directors and a policy of non interference in operational matters had enabled professional management to implement reforms without political pressure.

It added that LESCO’s performance offered a model for other distribution companies and strengthened efforts to curb circular debt while improving the financial sustainability of the power sector.

Islamabad: Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin met Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik on Friday to discuss ways to deepen bilateral relations and expand cooperation in the fields of law and justice, trade, regional connectivity and other areas of mutual interest.

Barrister Aqeel Malik reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening its longstanding friendship and partnership with Kazakhstan.

He said Pakistan highly values its close ties with Kazakhstan and remains committed to enhancing cooperation for the mutual benefit of both countries.

Ambassador Kistafin appreciated Pakistan’s continued engagement and reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation across diverse sectors.

Both sides agreed to maintain close coordination and explore new avenues of collaboration to further reinforce the longstanding friendship between Pakistan and Kazakhstan.

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and SAFRON Engineer Amir Muqam on Friday urged the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to respect the outcome of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections instead of questioning the results, saying the party should examine why voters rejected it despite its influence in the region’s government and administrative structure.

Addressing a large public rally in Khawra, Muzaffarabad, in support of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate for LA-31 Saqib Majeed Raja, the minister said the high voter turnout reflected the victory of democracy and the political maturity of the Kashmiri people.

“Rather than raising objections to the election results, the PPP should review the reasons behind its defeat,” he said, adding that the party’s allegations were unfounded as the AJK government and administrative machinery were already under its influence.

Mr Muqam said parties should avoid creating unnecessary political disputes and instead respect the public mandate.

He noted that PML-N also had reservations regarding results in certain constituencies but chose to uphold the democratic process.

Highlighting PML-N’s electoral performance, he said the party’s organisational efforts over the past two years had begun yielding results and expressed confidence that voters in Muzaffarabad Division would place even greater trust in the party after Mirpur.

Mr Muqam praised the police, district administration and the people of AJK for ensuring peaceful elections, describing them as deserving of appreciation for maintaining a democratic atmosphere.

On development projects, he announced that construction of the Khawra-Charkpora link road would be completed on a priority basis.

He also said the federal government was constructing five Daanish Schools in AJK and expressed the desire to establish one in Khawra as well.

The minister said the federal government would continue providing subsidies and relief measures for the people of AJK while pursuing development and public welfare projects across the region.

He further revealed that progress was under way on the Mansehra-Muzaffarabad-Mirpur Expressway project and that tenders for the scheme would be issued soon.

Paying tribute to Pakistan’s armed forces and the federal government, Mr Muqam said enemy designs had been thwarted through the leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the armed forces.

PML-N candidate Saqib Majeed Raja pledged to fulfil his development commitments and serve the constituency if elected with public support.

The federal minister received a warm welcome on arrival at the rally venue, where party workers showered flower petals and raised slogans in support of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Amir Muqam.

A large number of party workers and supporters attended the gathering.

Islamabad: Search and rescue teams have recovered the bodies of two mountaineers and transported them to Skardu after an avalanche struck a group attempting to summit Broad Peak in the Karakoram range.

Efforts are continuing to locate the remaining eight missing mountaineers from a team of 10 caught in the incident.

The rescue operation, involving Pakistan Army helicopters and ground teams, remains underway in the high-altitude region. Sources said the process of confirming the identities of the two recovered mountaineers was still in progress.

In a separate rescue during the same mission, an Italian climber who fell ill while participating in the K2 expedition was airlifted safely by a Pakistan Army helicopter.

The ground search and rescue mission for the missing mountaineers was being led by Pakistani mountaineer Sarbaz Khan. Rescue teams continued to search difficult terrain in an effort to locate those still unaccounted for.

According to rescue officials, the missing group included climbers from the United States, China, Nepal, and Oman, as well as Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi. Search teams were working across multiple sections of the mountain where the avalanche was believed to have struck.

The operation was being carried out through a combination of aerial and ground efforts. Alongside Pakistan Army helicopter missions, civil rescue teams had been assisting in the search operation and supporting efforts on the ground.

The accident occurred a day earlier when a team of mountaineers attempting to ascend Broad Peak was suddenly hit by an avalanche. The mountain, located in the Karakoram range of northern Pakistan, is one of the world’s highest peaks and attracts climbers from different countries each year.

Rescue officials said weather and terrain conditions remained a challenge, but search teams were continuing their efforts to locate the missing climbers.

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed the implementation of comprehensive reforms in the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), stressing the need for greater transparency, stronger oversight, and enhanced institutional capacity to ensure an efficient and accountable petroleum sector.

Chairing a high-level meeting on revamping and digitization of OGRA, the prime minister said the government’s reform agenda must be implemented uniformly across all public institutions.

He instructed authorities to develop a robust nationwide fuel movement monitoring system by adopting the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) modern tracking mechanism as a model.

The prime minister also called for the use of advanced technology and software to digitally monitor the entire petroleum supply chain, from ports and refineries to petrol pumps, to improve transparency and curb irregularities.

To strengthen OGRA’s institutional capacity, he directed that reputable experts from the private sector be recruited through a transparent, merit-based process as part of the authority’s restructuring. He assured that the government would provide all necessary professional expertise to support the reform process.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to protecting public resources, the prime minister said every penny of taxpayers’ money would be safeguarded and warned that no one would be allowed to exploit consumers or manipulate the system.

He also instructed all regulatory authorities to establish formal coordination mechanisms with their respective ministries and directed that work on upgrading the country’s oil refineries under the approved policy be expedited.

During the meeting, OGRA Chairman briefed participants on the authority’s current performance, key challenges, and a comprehensive reform programme.

The meeting was informed that OGRA has made significant progress in digitally monitoring the petroleum supply chain through the activation of several systems, including the National Monitoring Dashboard, Tanker Track and Trace System, Depot Tank Telemetry, Rahguzar Mobile Application, Digital Sales Entry System at petrol pumps, and a Central Monitoring Cell.

Officials said these digital platforms are enabling more effective monitoring of petroleum products from transportation and storage to retail sales.

The prime minister was also informed that a data-driven enforcement campaign carried out during July 2026 detected multiple cases of hoarding, unnecessary supply disruptions, and other regulatory violations.

As a result, authorities issued show-cause notices, sought explanations from those involved, and initiated legal proceedings where necessary.

The meeting also reviewed OGRA’s broader reform agenda, which includes digitalization of the authority, restructuring of its enforcement mechanism, establishment of a compliance wing, reforms to the licensing framework, improved legal management, strengthening of financial resources, and reorganization of the institutional structure.

Appreciating the proposed reform programme, PM Shehbaz Sharif directed that the digital monitoring system be made fully operational as soon as possible to eliminate hoarding and profiteering while ensuring complete transparency in the oil and gas sector.

He emphasized that uninterrupted fuel supplies and fair pricing for consumers remained the government’s top priorities and made it clear that negligence or corruption would not be tolerated.

The prime minister also directed relevant ministries and departments to expedite all legal, administrative, and policy measures necessary to strengthen OGRA and modernize Pakistan’s regulatory framework.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Azam Nazeer Tarar, Dr. Musadik Malik, Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Shaza Fatima Khawaja and Ali Pervaiz Malik, Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa, and other senior government officials.