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Running on sunshine: Pakistan’s solar boom to tide over Middle East energy crisis

Energy expert Vaqar Zakaria believes solar power makes “excellent economic sense” — and he lives by it. For over five years, his rooftop panels have slashed his bills, sometimes to zero, even allowing him to sell surplus electricity back through net metering. Last month, he took it further. After buying two electric vehicles, he has almost “declared independence” from the national grid. With more panels and doubled batteries, even his cars run on sunshine. “I am moving away from their fuel, and I don’t need their power,” said the CEO of Hagler Bailly, Pakistan, an Islamabad-based environmental consultancy firm, over the phone from Islamabad. “I call it the hand of God driving my car,” Zakaria said. He is already seeing economic gains from his investment. “The electricity I generate, including battery costs, comes to about Rs12 ($0.043) per unit, while it can be sold to the Islamabad Electric Supply Company at around Rs26 ($0.092) per unit.” However, he adds that he does not currentl...
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Rain likely in Karachi, other Sindh cities on 1st day of Eid: PMD

KARACHI: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Friday forecast rain in Karachi and other parts of Sindh for tomorrow, when the country will celebrate the first day of Eidul Fitr . In its daily weather forecast, the weather body said a westerly wave was “continuously affecting” most parts of the country. It said “rain/thunderstorm with strong winds” was likely in Karachi Division and various other Sindh districts tomorrow. The same was forecast for Larkana, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Sukkur, Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Matiari, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Naushahro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad and Dadu districts. However, in a three-day weather outlook for Karachi, the PMD said the weather was expected to be “mostly cloudy with chances of isolated thunderstorm/rain at outskirts”. Daytime temperatures will range between 29 and 31 degrees Celsius, while night temperatures could drop to as low as 17-19°C. Humidity levels in the morning were expected t...
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From denial to acceptance: Iran war’s mental toll on Pakistani expats in UAE

KARACHI: Saman*, a resident of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was at her workplace when a loud explosion occurred in Abu Dhabi — a retaliatory strike by Iran against US-Israel strikes on its territory. Her two children were at home, while her husband was also at work. Her workplace was far from the site of the explosion, so she did not hear it. However, she remained in denial that such an incident could occur in a safe and secure country like the UAE. “Neither did I hear the sound of the first explosion, nor did I concentrate on it as it was another super busy day at work,” Saman told Dawn , adding that her colleagues, who were surprised by the incident, shared the news with her. While still in denial, she immediately checked the news and learned about the incident. Her focus then shifted from the event to the safety of her children and her husband. “My husband checked on my safety through messages, while my daughter, who was terrified by the incident, sent me a text. We soon spok...
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India’s privatisation drive derails because of weak investor interest in state-run firms: report

India is considering shelving three planned privatisation sales amid weak investor appetite, two government sources said, a slump that has already derailed its attempt to sell a stake in IDBI Bank and is a fresh blow to the government’s flagship divestment programme. The privatisation plan, delayed for years, is now facing fresh setbacks that include dwindling interest in state-run firms such as Shipping Corporation of India and HLL Lifecare, besides the collapse of the IDBI Bank stake sale last week after bids fell short of the government’s minimum price. India’s finance, shipping and health ministries and the companies did not respond to Reuters ’ queries. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious privatisation plan was aimed at having the state exit most sectors while remaining only in sensitive ones such as telecom and banking. But the government could only sell Air India to Tata Sons, and indirect holdings in steel-maker Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd to Tata Steel, and Fe...
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Dar to depart on Riyadh visit for meeting of regional FMs, will call for ‘swift end’ to Middle East conflict

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will depart for Riyadh on Wednesday for a meeting with the foreign ministers of regional countries, where he will advocate for a “swift end” to the conflict in the Middle East, the Foreign Office (FO) said. The conflict began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. In retaliatory strikes, Iran has targeted US assets and bases in Gulf countries. Amid the hostilities, the FO has termed Pakistan’s role a “ bridge builder ”. Dar will be attending at the invitation of Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud from March 18 to 19, during which he will “express complete support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and political independence of all brotherly countries in the region, and call for an end to all attacks on their territory”. According to FO, Dar will reiterate “Pakistan’s call for a swift end to the ongoing conflict” and call for a return to “dialogue and diplomacy”. The foreign minister is also expecte...
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Asia pivots to coal as Middle East conflict chokes LNG supply

Asian utilities are boosting coal-fired power generation to cut costs and safeguard energy supply, industry officials say, as the US-Israeli war on Iran chokes liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments and soaring prices threaten to suppress LNG demand. Asia spot LNG prices have doubled to three-year highs in the second major supply shock in four years, as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has all but stopped and No 2 global exporter Qatar has halted shipments. In South Asia, Bangladesh is increasing coal power generation and coal-fired power imports in March, daily government data shows. Pakistan, meanwhile, aims to further boost power generated from domestic sources after solar additions helped it avoid a repeat of the LNG supply volatility behind widespread outages following Russia’s 2022 Ukraine invasion, Power Minister Awais Leghari said. “With a reduction in LNG generation, plants running on locally mined coal will be able to produce more during off-peak hours,” Leghari to...
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Jailed PTI leaders criticise lack of economic restructuring measures amid Gulf conflict

LAHORE: Pakistan’s fragile economy, already reeling from the shock of rising oil and gas prices, has been further exacerbated by a lack of economic restructuring measures, five senior PTI leaders incarcerated in Kot Lakhpat Jail said on Tuesday. In an open letter shared by their counsel Rana Mudassar Umer, PTI leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and Omar Sarfraz Cheema said that Pakistan’s hard-earned macroeconomic stability, gained by “squeezing” ordinary citizens over the last three years, would wither away in the next three weeks if the Gulf conflict were to persist. It also said that uncertainty and the shock of rising oil and gas prices had scrapped the chances of a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Commenting on the country’s economic situation, the leaders said it was becoming increasingly difficult to meet the performance criteria agreed upon at the time of budget formulation for the curre...
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