Daily Balochistan Times

Islamabad: Chairman Senate Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Sunday said that youth are Pakistan's future, and their skills must be harnessed to tackle the country's challenges effectively.Addressing the 25th Convocation of Iqra University at the Jinnah Convention Centre, he said, 'Education serves as the cornerstone of any nation's development and prosperity. The youth are the future of Pakistan, and by channelling their talents in the right direction, the country can effectively address its challenges.'Gilani highlighted the importance of education in shaping Pakistan's future and called on universities to play a pivotal role in equipping students for the demands of a rapidly evolving global landscape.'The world around us is changing fast. Technological advances such as AI, Machine Learning, Genomics, Internet of Things, Blockchain, and Quantum Computing necessitate our students to develop their faculties to match the new job market requirements,' said Gilani.He emphasized the importance of cognitive, socio -emotional, and digital learning skills to ensure employability in this new era.Gilani remarked on the transformation of Pakistan's economic structure: "As we transition to a knowledge economy, we see a shift from traditional growth factors to building human and intellectual capital for a sustainable increase in GDP. The predominant source of influence in the modern world stems from information, intelligence, and insight rather than physical power or natural resources."Drawing inspiration from renowned futurist Alvin Toffler, Gilani said, 'The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.'He urged educational institutions to be proactive in fostering critical thinking, innovation, and leadership in students, thereby contributing to Pakistan's economic and social growth.Gilani also emphasized the need for collaboration between the government, academia, and parliament to ensure that Pakistan's youth are equipped with the to ols to thrive. 'We must work together - the academia, the parliament, and the government - to ensure excellence and innovation in education,' he said.He remembered the services of the People's Party in providing admissions to schools and colleges for Muslims living in India.He further mentioned the improvement in the quality of education provided at Bahaiddin Zakaria University and said that hundreds of students were sent on fully funded scholarships abroad through Bahauddin Zakaria University.Gilani quoted Pakistan's founder, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who famously said, 'Pakistan is proud of her youth, particularly the students who have always been in the forefront in the hour of trial and need. You are the nation's leaders of tomorrow and you must fully equip yourself by discipline, education and training for the arduous task lying ahead of you.'

Islamabad: Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar has called for enforcement of stringent policy measures to mitigate heat-trapping vehicular emissions to tackle smog, which has become a grave health nuisance.

Chairing a recent 10th meeting of National Climate Change Policy Implementation Committee (NCCPIC) held here, he noted that smog has emerged a serious environmental and public health concern, affecting millions of lives every year in the country, causing billions in the economic losses, disrupting road and air traffic.

However, it was imperative that immediate and impactful actions were taken by all relevant government organisations to reduce the sources of smog and air pollution.

During the meeting, Secretary MoCC and EC Aisha Humera Moriani presented detailed overview of the progress on the implementation of the National Climate Change policy 2021and the status/outcomes of federal and provincial climate action plans framed in the light of the climate change policy 2021, which outlines the strategic direction for coping with adverse impacts of climate change across various sectors.

'As of 2025, the climate change and environmental coordination ministry in close partnership with provincial governments and other stakeholders has made notable strides in both policy implementation and practical interventions to combat climate change, in line with the global climate goals set under the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),' MoCC and EC Secretary Aisha Humera Moriani informed the meeting.

Spelling out various policy measures, she explained that for renewable energy base expansion in the country efforts have already been ramped up to transition to renewable energy sources, with significant investments in solar, wind, and hydropower projects.

The government's push to achieve a 30 percent share of renewables in the energy mix by 2030 is well on track, with new projects coming online and policy frameworks encouraging public-private partnership for implementation of various green initiatives, she added.

The MoCC and EC secretary also briefed the meeting chair about the status of National Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy-2019.

She highlighted manufacturing and use of EVs, particularly two-wheelers and three-wheelers, in the country was already picking up the pace as government was providing attractive incentives, including tax exemptions and reduced customs duties for EV manufacturers and importers to mitigate transport sector's growing carbon emissions.

'All-out efforts are being made by the ministry in partnership with relevant federal and provincial stakeholders to promote EVs as part of the present government's commitment to reducing the environmental impact of transportation, promoting renewable energy, and fostering a cleaner, more sustainable future for the country,' Aisha Humera Moriani informed the meeting.

During the meeting, representatives of various relevant federal and provincial organisations including ministry of industries and production, ministry of energy, national highway and motorway police, federal and provincial environmental protection agencies, provincial transport and mass transit departments/authorities unanimously agreed that adoption of mandatory vehicle emission standards was inevitable to control aggravating air quality issue.

While agreeing to the enforcement of the mandatory vehicle emission standards in the country, the law minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said, 'A nationwide enforcement of stringent emissions standards for all vehicles, including stricter compliance monitoring and regular vehicle inspections to ensure conformity with Euro-5 or higher standards is inevitable to improve the country's air quality, mitigate heat-trapping carbon emissions and tackle recurring smog issue.

Earlier, during the meeting, the Director General (Oil) at the Petroleum Division, Imran Ahmed informed the meeting chair that Pakistan consumes annually a total of 13.2 million tons of fuel consisting of 7.1 million tons of petrol and 6.1 million tons of diesel.

Both the imported and locally produced petrol meet Euro-5 standards, the official said, adding that while the imported diesel complies with Euro-5 standards, the local diesel production struggles to meet Euro-2 standards, one key contributor of bad air quality in the country,

'It is for this reason that, despite the relatively small number of diesel-run vehicles in the country, there are higher emissions of sulfur oxides (SOx) and other pollutants from the diesel-run vehicles using the sub-standard diesel that degrade ambient air particularly in urban areas of the country,' the director general (Oil), Ministry of Energy, remarked during his presentation to the NCCPIC meeting.

Revealing details about the existing fuel quality and standards in the country, the senior official said that Euro-5 fuel being consumed in the transport sector accounts for just 40 percent while the 60 percent of the fuel consumed Euro-2 and Euro-3 standard. This situation underscores the urgent need for upgradation of local fuel refineries to align with regional fuel standards and to manage petroleum resources more effectively, he highlighted.

Highlighting the need for increasing the Euro-5 standard quality fuel in the country, the law minister Azam Nazeer Tarar urged the petroleum ministry representatives that all-out efforts must be made to increase Euro-5 fuel all over the present government's commitment towards reducing urban air pollution, with significant reductions in vehicular emissions.

Euro 5 fuel is a fuel quality standard that reduces harmful emissions from vehicles and has lower levels of sulfur, benzene, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. This not only help reduce harmful emissions from vehicles but also is crucial for tackling air pollution.

The General Manager of Engineering Development Board (EDB) informed the NCCPIC about government's various measures taken under the National Electric Vehicle Policy- 2019, which provided tax incentives for EVs.

Azam Nazeer Tarar directed the representatives of the federal energy ministry to expediate the process for approval of New Energy Policy so that EVs and hybrid vehicles of various types including EV-based Mass Transit System (MTS) and commercial vehicle fleet are promoted countrywide as a part of the present government's vision for environmentally cleaner, healthier Pakistan.

Islamabad: The Chairman of OGDCL Board, Zafar Masood, on Sunday said that the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) is taking the lead in addressing climate change.

Talking to a private news channel, he highlighted that the energy sector contributes nearly 14% to emissions, while other sectors like transport, livestock, and agriculture are larger contributors.

Despite this, OGDCL is committed to playing its full role in reducing emissions, recognizing the importance of collective action to combat climate change, he added.

He pointed out that Pakistan emits only 0.84 metric tons of CO2 globally, a very small amount compared to countries like the United States, Europe, and China, which have much higher emissions.

"Although Pakistan contributes little to global emissions, it faces the harsh impacts of global warming," he added, emphasizing the urgent need for action.

He emphasized that to solve this problem effectively, academia, the corporate sector, government, and civil society must work together.

If Pakistan is to tackle climate change, it must embed education, health, and environmental priorities, he added.

Islamabad: Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Islamabad, Syed Ali Raza, held a Khulli Katcheri (open court) on Sunday at his office to address citizens' grievances and issued immediate directives for their resolution.

A Public Relations Officer told reporter that during the Khulli Katcheri, DIG Raza emphasized that citizens can also register their complaints through the "IGP Complaint Cell 1715."

DIG Raza noted that Inspector General of Police (IGP), Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, has instructed all senior police officers to organize open courts across the district. In line with these directives, all zonal SPs are conducting open courts in their respective zones to ensure citizens' concerns are heard and resolved.

DIG Raza added that the Islamabad Police are dedicated to reaching out to the public and resolving their issues effectively. 'Every citizen of Islamabad is encouraged to openly share their grievances at these forums,' he stated, reiterating the police's resolve to address citizens' problems at their doorstep through this public engagement campaign.

Islamabad: Uninterrupted power supply at an affordable rate is considered crucial for the development of the industrial, agricultural and domestic sectors of any country.

The incumbent government since its inception through innovative policies, substantial investments, and major structural reforms in the power sector, significant progress has been made towards ensuring energy sustainability by reducing electricity costs for economic growth.

Rising fuel prices and new energy situation after the Ukraine war also necessitated in Pakistan to tap its indigenous resources like hydel, solar, wind and Thar coal to provide maximum relief to the people particularly power consumers.

Minister for Power Division Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari said the power sector has witnessed tariff reductions as the average price of electricity has decreased to Rs44.04 per unit from Rs48.70 per unit in June 2024, marking a reduction of Rs4.66.

Similarly, he said the industrial tariff had also significantly dropped to Rs 47.17 per unit from Rs 58.50 in June 2024, reflecting a reduction of Rs 11.33 per unit.

Mounting debt load, rising power prices and an astonishing Rs 1,411,669 million capacity payment to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) during fiscals 2022-23 and 2023-24, the government has come up with solutions to stem out the menace and lessen burden on consumers and national kitty.

The government set up a Task Force to implement structural reforms with Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari as its Chairman, PM's Special Assistant on power Muhammad Ali as co-Chairman and Lt Gen Zafar Iqbal as National Coordinator also including in it representatives from various regulatory bodies.

Contracts with Saba, Lalpir, Atlas and Rousch having accumulative generation capacity of 2,463 Megawatt (MWs), set up under 1994 power policy were terminated through 'mutual agreements.

The minister said that a savings of Rs1 trillion had been achieved in negotiations with IPPs. The government had terminated agreements with five IPPs, which would save Rs 411 billion (Rs7 billion annually). Total savings from the settlement of the accords with 8 bagasse-based IPPs amounted to Rs238.224 billion (Rs8.826 billion per year), he explained.

He said negotiation with 16 other IPPs is also underway and revised agreements with 16 IPPs would be finalized in the coming days which would help national savings of Rs 481 billion.

Regarding solarization of agricultural tube-wells in Balochistan, the minister said, 'We are solarizing 27,000 tube wells at a cost of Rs55 billion, with a 70 percent federal government contribution.'

Awais said that this initiative would promote green energy and revolutionize the agricultural sector in Balochistan.

Responding to the government 'Winter Bijli Sahulat Package', Awais says, 'this package introduces a special tariff of Rs26.07 per unit for households and industries'.

'Under the package, domestic consumers will benefit from savings between Rs11.42 and Rs26.00 per unit, while commercial consumers can expect savings of Rs13.46 to Rs22.71 per unit,' he explained.

He said that the industrial users would enjoy savings ranging from Rs5.72 to Rs15.05 per unit, and this initiative underscores our commitment to reducing electricity costs and supporting economic growth.

Regarding reforms in transmission system, the minister said the government was diligently working on upgrading the transmission sector including the bifurcation of the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) into three entities.

'These three entities will be the 'National Grid Company of Pakistan' being established for efficient and reliable transmission, the 'Energy Infra­structure Development and Management Company for project management, and the 'Independent System and Market Operator for a competitive and transparent electricity market,' he explained.

Additionally, the South-North transmission corridor was being developed through Public-Private-Partnership, with a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) of 1000MWh planned for installation in the South for frequency regulation, he said.

Regarding power sector liberalization, the minister said the Independent System and Market Operator would allow consumers to purchase electricity from multiple suppliers.

He also revealed that the Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP 2024-34) would be finalized soon, and emphasized that out of the 17,000MW to be added in the next 10 years, only 87MW was based on the least-cost principle. 'A review of the IGCEP will ensure that energy is added to the system on a least-cost basis,' he added.

Awais Leghari said the government has a plan to introduce special tariffs for electric vehicles (EVs) under a forthcoming EV policy. 'This EV policy will reduce dependency on imported fuels, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and improve air quality,' he said and added that it would also foster economic growth through job creation in local manufacturing and the development of charging infrastructure. The minister expressed the hope that the new EV policy would revolutionize Pakistan's transport sector

Regarding the challenges faced by the power sector, including transmission constraints and poor recovery rates, which contribute to Rs 250 billion in losses caused by Discos' inefficiencies, the minister was of the views, 'Efforts to manage the Rs2.2 trillion circular debt burden are ongoing, focusing on reducing consumer electricity costs. We are also addressing the impact of dollar-denominated debt as the depreciation of the rupee has exacerbated it'.

He said that the circular debt costs were being shifted from electricity bills to the national debt to reduce the consumer burden. 'We have eliminated Rs150 billion in cross-subsidies from the industrial sector, a step that has boosted industrial growth and job creation in Pakistan,' he explained.

About reforms in power distribution companies (DISCOs), Awais Leghari said the government was pursuing privatization and concession models for electricity distribution. Independent Boards of Directors have been appointed for DISCOs, he added.