Lucky Cement to set up hybrid wind-solar power plant under Pakistan’s special investment body 

Lucky Cement to set up hybrid wind-solar power plant under Pakistan’s special investment body 
This picture taken on May 3, 2009 shows Pakistani technicians install a wind turbine at a remote subtropical island of Kharochhan, a land of creeks and mangroves couched on the cyclone belt of the Arabian Sea. (AFP/File)
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Updated 11 November 2024
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Lucky Cement to set up hybrid wind-solar power plant under Pakistan’s special investment body 

Lucky Cement to set up hybrid wind-solar power plant under Pakistan’s special investment body 
  • In the past, Lucky Cement has commissioned 42.8 MW solar power plant in Karachi
  • Power consumption in Pakistan has declined 8-10% year on year in past 3 quarters 

ISLAMABAD: One of Pakistan’s largest domestic cement producers, Lucky Cement, will set up a hybrid wind and solar power project under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), state media said on Monday.
Private investment is low and declining in Pakistan, which has very low rates of private investment relative to regional and comparable countries, around one-third of the South Asia average, according to World Bank data released in 2023. Private investment declined from an average of 13.7 percent of GDP in the 2000s to around 10 percent in FY21.
The government set up the SIFC last year to attract foreign investment and also create better conditions and remove bottlenecks for domestic companies who have historically faced unfair competition from state-owned entities undertaking commercial operations and received little support when seeking to access new overseas markets.
“Special Investment Facilitation Council is supporting private companies for development of energy sector,” Radio Pakistan reported. “As part of these efforts, Lucky Cement has planned a hybrid wind and solar power project which will generate environment friendly electricity.”
In the past, Lucky Cement has commissioned a 42.8 MW solar power plant in Karachi.
Power consumption in Pakistan has declined 8-10 percent year on year over the past three quarters, according to energy ministry data. Power consumption is a significant economic indicator in the developing economy and another expected decline this year underscores challenges facing the newly elected government in debt-laden Pakistan, amid growing discontent among the poor.
Poor and middle class households are still feeling the impact of the International Monetary Fund’s bailout of Pakistan last year, which contributed to rising retail prices including fuel and electricity charges.
Power cuts are also frequent in Pakistan, especially in far flung rural areas, due to grid issues, delays in importing fuel and hard currency shortages, though the frequency of such outages have reduced in the recent months.


Pakistan weekly inflation slows to 3.57 percent year on year

Pakistan weekly inflation slows to 3.57 percent year on year
Updated 29 sec ago
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Pakistan weekly inflation slows to 3.57 percent year on year

Pakistan weekly inflation slows to 3.57 percent year on year
  • Pakistan also slashed interest rates by 250 basis points in Nov. to help revive a sluggish economy amid drop in inflation
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif congratulates nation as inflation hits lowest level since Oct. 2018, promises to resolve public issues

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), has slowed to 3.57 percent on a year-on-year basis in the week ending on Dec. 5, the country’s statistics bureau said, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulating the nation over the drop.
The SPI, which comprises 51 essential items collected from 50 markets in 17 cities, is computed on a weekly basis to assess the price movement of essential commodities at shorter interval of time so as to review the price situation in the country.
Inflation for the week ending on Dec. 05 decreased by 0.34 percent as compared to the previou week, with a major decrease observed in prices of tomatoes, chicken, pulses wheat flour, rice and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
In a statement issued from his office, Sharif noted that inflation had fallen to its lowest level since October 2018, saying that his government was working tirelessly to resolve public issues.
“Further steps are being taken for employment generation, industrial development and promotion of foreign investment in the country,” he said on Saturday.
The prime minister said an increase in remittances and investment from friendly countries as well as stable diplomatic relations were a reflection of Pakistan’s development journey.
“All stakeholders are playing their role in the national development journey,” he added.
Pakistan’s annual consumer inflation slowed to 4.9 percent in November largely due to a high base a year earlier, the statistics bureau said this week, lower than the government’s forecast.
The finance ministry had projected inflation would slow to 5.8 percent-6.8 percent in November and ease to 5.6 percent-6.5 percent in December, it said in its monthly economic report published last week. Consumer inflation cooled from 7.2 percent in October, a sharp drop from a multi-decade high of nearly 40 percent in May 2023.
The South Asian country, which has been facing an economic slowdown, also slashed interest rates by 250 basis points earlier in November to help revive a sluggish economy amid a drop in the rate of inflation.
On Friday, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) crossed 109,000 points as the bullish sentiment prevailed at the market, analysts said. The benchmark KSE-100 index surged by 814 points, or 0.75 percent, to hit a record high of 109,053 points as compared to the previous day’s close of 108,238 points.


Pakistan forms five-member panel to draft rules for appointment of judges

Pakistan forms five-member panel to draft rules for appointment of judges
Updated 07 December 2024
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Pakistan forms five-member panel to draft rules for appointment of judges

Pakistan forms five-member panel to draft rules for appointment of judges
  • The committee will comprise Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Attorney-General Mansoor Usman Awan, Senators Ali Zafar and Farooq H. Naek, and Akhtar Hussain
  • The Judicial Commission of Pakistan says it accords highest priority to procedure and criteria for assessment, evaluation and fitness for appointment of judges

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi has constituted a five-member committee for drafting rules to regulate procedure and criteria for the appointment of judges, the Supreme Court of Pakistan said on Friday.
The development came after Chief Justice Afridi presided over meetings of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan to consider constitution of the committee to draft rules for judges’ appointment, nomination of Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan as eighth judge of the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, and the appointment of additional judges in Sindh and Peshawar high courts.
The committee to draft rules will be led by Supreme Court judge, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, and comprise Attorney-General of Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan, Senators Ali Zafar and Farooq H. Naek, and lawyer Akhtar Hussain, according to a Supreme Court statement. The panel will draft rules and share them with the Judicial Commission of Pakistan secretariat by December 15.
“The Judicial Commission of Pakistan unanimously decided to accord highest priority toward framing of rules relating to regulating its procedure including the procedure and criteria for assessment, evaluation and fitness for appointment of Judges,” the Supreme Court of Pakistan said in a statement.
The commission also approved the nomination of Justice Hassan, a judge of the Supreme Court, for the constitutional bench of the apex court.
In its maiden session on Nov. 5, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, reconstituted under the 26th constitutional amendment, appointed Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan as head of the seven-judge constitutional bench to take up constitutional cases. The bench includes Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Ayesha Malik, Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Musarrat Hilali and Naeem Akhtar Afghan, and high-profile cases with political implications will now be brought before it to adjudicate such matters.
The Judicial Commission of Pakistan nominated Justices Adnan-ul-Karim Memon and Agha Faisal as judges of constitutional benches of the Sindh High Court by a majority vote, according to the Supreme Court statement. The agenda for appointment of additional judges to the Sindh and Peshawar high courts was deferred till December 21.


Six Pakistani soldiers, 22 militants killed in restive northwest

Six Pakistani soldiers, 22 militants killed in restive northwest
Updated 21 min 48 sec ago
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Six Pakistani soldiers, 22 militants killed in restive northwest

Six Pakistani soldiers, 22 militants killed in restive northwest
  • The soldiers died in an attack in Kurram district where fierce sectarian fighting has killed at least 130 people in past few weeks
  • Pakistan has blamed a surge in militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on militants operating out of Afghanistan, Kabul denies the allegation

ISLAMABAD: Six Pakistani soldiers and 22 militants were killed in three separate gunfights in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani military said on Saturday.
Nine militants were killed and six injured in a gunfight during an intelligence-based operation in KP’s Tank district, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
Ten militants were killed in another operation in the North Waziristan district, while six Pakistani soldiers were killed while repulsing a militant attack, which left three assailants dead, on a check-post in the Kurram district.
“Sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Kharji [militant] found in the area,” the ISPR said in a statement. “Security Forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe-out the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve.”
The attack targeted the check-post near Bagan, a populated locality in Kurram district where fierce sectarian fighting has killed at least 130 people during the past few weeks. However, a ceasefire between the area’s Sunni and Shia communities is holding and the attack on the security check-post was not connected to the recent clashes.
“Kurram is calm but tense amid acute shortage of medicines and edibles,” Kurram police spokesman Riaz Hussain told Arab News.
A jirga, a council of tribal elders, which announced an indefinite ceasefire in Kurram on Friday, was meeting rival Shia and Sunni tribes for a solution to their differences stemming from land disputes.
Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed a number of attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups that targeted security forces convoys and check posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.
Last week, an army captain among two Pakistani soldiers and eight militants were killed in two separate operations in KP’s Bannu and Khyber districts, the Pakistani military said.
Pakistan has frequently accused neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups, urging the Taliban administration in Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by armed factions to launch cross-border attacks.
Afghan officials, however, deny involvement, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.


Pakistan’s Haris Rauf, India’s Jasprit Bumrah nominated for ICC’s player of month

Pakistan’s Haris Rauf, India’s Jasprit Bumrah nominated for ICC’s player of month
Updated 07 December 2024
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Pakistan’s Haris Rauf, India’s Jasprit Bumrah nominated for ICC’s player of month

Pakistan’s Haris Rauf, India’s Jasprit Bumrah nominated for ICC’s player of month
  • The third nominee is South African Marco Jensen who excelled against India and Sri Lanka last month
  • Pakistani spinner Noman Ali last month bagged the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for October

KARACHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced nominees for the Men’s Player of the Month Award for November, with Pakistani pacer Haris Rauf, India’s Jasprit Bumrah and South African Marco Jensen named as contenders.
The award recognizes the best male cricketer of the month, considering performances in Tests, one-day and Twenty20 internationals. A voting academy and fan determine the winner from the three nominees.
“Rauf played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s historic ODI series win in Australia — their first in 22 years,” the ICC said this week. “The 24-year-old Jensen showcased his all-round brilliance across all formats in November and India’s Bumrah reaffirmed his reputation as one of the greats of the games.”
The ICC said that Pakistan’s tour of Zimbabwe saw a strong performance by Rauf as the tourists won both the ODI and T20I series 2-1. Rauf took 10 wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the second match, steering Pakistan to victory. He continued his form in the T20Is, with five wickets and wrapped up the month with 18 dismissals across formats.
Jansen excelled in the T20I series against India, showcasing his all-round skills with a 17-ball 54 in the third match and consistent wickets. His standout performance came in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Durban, where he recorded career-best match figures of 11/86, including a seven-wicket haul that dismissed Sri Lanka for 42, securing a dominant 233-run victory for South Africa, according to the ICC.
Bumrah led India to a commanding 295-run victory in the opening Border-Gavaskar Test in Perth with an eight-wicket haul. His fiery opening spell restricted Australia to 104 after India’s first-innings collapse.
Pakistani spinner Noman Ali last month bagged the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for October after his stellar 20 wickets in a Test series against England that helped his team secure a 2-1 victory.


Pakistan cricket team arrive in South Africa to play all-format series starting on Dec. 10

Pakistan cricket team arrive in South Africa to play all-format series starting on Dec. 10
Updated 07 December 2024
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Pakistan cricket team arrive in South Africa to play all-format series starting on Dec. 10

Pakistan cricket team arrive in South Africa to play all-format series starting on Dec. 10
  • Pakistan to play two Tests, three ODIs and three T20I matches in South Africa
  • Rizwan’s team heads to South Africa after beating Zimbabwe in white-ball series

KARACHI: The Pakistan cricket team have arrived in South Africa to play an eight-match all-format series beginning from Dec. 10 till January 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Saturday.

The national squad arrived in Durban after defeating Zimbabwe in the ODI and T20 series earlier this month. Pakistan will play two Tests and three One Day Internationals and three Twenty20 matches against the host country. 

The first match of the series, a T20I contest, will take place on Dec. 10.

“National T20 squad arrived in Durban from Zimbabwe,” the PCB said in a post on social media site X. “Captain Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah also arrived in Durban.”

The statement said the Pakistan cricket team will rest on Sunday before beginning their first practice session the same day at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban.

The South Africa series will see the return of cricket stars Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who were both rested for the Zimbabwe T20I and ODI series. 

Pakistan squads for South Africa tour:

Tests: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha

ODIs: Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wk), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wk)

T20Is: Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wk), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wk)