Additional relief goods being dispatched on PM's order
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is personally monitoring the relief operations of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in all flood-affected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Teams of federal ministers, on the instructions of the prime minister will participate in the relief operations in the flood-affected areas.
Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Engineer Amir Muqam will supervise the distribution of relief goods in districts Shangla and Buner, Minister for Power Division look after the activities in Buner, Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousaf will oversee operations in Mansehra, while Special Assistant to Prime Minister Mubarak Zeb will supervise relief distribution activities in Bajaur.
Additional trucks carrying relief goods are being sent to the affected districts under the Prime Minister's Relief Package. The relief goods include ration, tents, and medicines, which are being district administrations.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the chairman of the NDMA to stay in constant contact with the Disaster Management Authorities of the provinces and Gilgit Baltistan for better and coordinated relief efforts.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
5 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Chinese CPEC IPPs press Pakistan govt for Rs475bn dues
ISLAMABAD: As the date of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's visit to China draws closer, Chinese CPEC Independent Power Producers (IPPs) have mounted pressure on the government for clearance of their outstanding receivables, which currently stand at around Rs 475 billion, well-informed sources told Business Recorder. Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Chinese CPEC IPPs have been writing letters to government functionaries, with copies also shared with the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan. The Ambassador, sources said, is actively engaging with senior Pakistani officials to finalize the Prime Minister's agenda for bilateral meetings with Chinese leadership. In a recent letter, Wang Dongfang, CEO of Port Qasim Electric Power Company (PQEPC), expressed deep concern over the growing delays in tariff payments by the Central Power Purchasing Agency-Guaranteed (CPPA-G). Debt re-profiling with Chinese IPPs: PD, FD likely to share implementation proposal According to Wang, under the Government of Pakistan's guidance, the 1,320 MW Port Qasim Coal-Fired Power Project—one of the flagship energy ventures under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)—has consistently provided clean, reliable, and economical electricity to the national grid. 'While we highly appreciate the efforts of the Government of Pakistan and CPPA-G in arranging funds and making tariff payments to IPPs, the total outstanding amount due to PQEPC has reached Rs 81 billion ($286.94 million) as of July 31, 2025, with a delay period of over six months, which could further escalate,' the letter stated. The CEO cautioned that shareholders and sponsors of the project, including those from China and Qatar, have conveyed 'significant discontent' over the payment backlog and have requested urgent measures to reduce the outstanding amount. 'We would like to notify that the current dues entitle PQEPC to suspend plant operations under Section 9.10 of the PPA, without any liability for Liquidated Damages (LDs),' the CEO warned. PQEPC also highlighted that its Energy Purchase Price (EPP) tariff is comparatively more competitive than oil- and RLNG-based power plants. Suspension of operations, the CEO warned, would result in a 'lose-lose' outcome, which both sides must avoid through timely settlement of dues to ensure sustainable generation and prevent triggering defaults under Loan Agreements and the Government of Pakistan's Sovereign Guarantee. Concluding his letter, Wang urged the Finance Minister, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb and Planning Minster, Ahsan Iqbal to take immediate notice of the 'critical situation' and coordinate with relevant authorities to arrange financial support for CPPA-G so that the outstanding dues could be cleared without further delay. When an official was contacted for comments on the correspondence of Chinese CPEC IPPs on payment of outstanding amounts, he responded that since the government does not have enough fiscal space, the payments will be made on the basis of availability of resources. However, energy payments are being made to them through Escrow Account. The government has earmarked Rs 5 billion per month to be paid to the Chinese CPEC IPPs. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
9 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Digitising economy top govt policy: PM
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed that the government is giving top priority to digitising the economy and shifting financial transactions towards a cashless, digital system. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Sunday, chaired a high-level meeting on the transition towards a cashless and digital economy and expressed satisfaction over the progress made so far. The prime minister emphasised that the government is working on a priority basis to digitise the economy and shift financial transactions to a cashless system. PM Shehbaz underscores digital economy push to enhance transparency, ease public access He directed all chief secretaries to extend full cooperation with the federal government in expanding the Raast payment system to the district level. During the meeting, officials briefed the prime minister on measures taken towards a cashless economy. It was informed that under the Pakistan Digital Public Infrastructure initiative, digital IDs will be introduced containing citizens' national identity card details, biometrics, and mobile phone numbers. These digital IDs will enable secure digital payments. The briefing further highlighted that provincial governments have made significant progress in linking government-to-public and public-to-government payments with the Raast system. On infrastructure development, it was noted that the Federal Development Authority has granted right-of-way for fiber connectivity, while discussions are underway with Pakistan Railways and the National Highways Authority to further expand digital infrastructure. The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervez Malik, Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr Tauqeer Shah, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, along with senior government officials Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
9 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Chinese CPEC IPPs press govt for Rs475bn dues
ISLAMABAD: As the date of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's visit to China draws closer, Chinese CPEC Independent Power Producers (IPPs) have mounted pressure on the government for clearance of their outstanding receivables, which currently stand at around Rs 475 billion, well-informed sources told Business Recorder. Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Chinese CPEC IPPs have been writing letters to government functionaries, with copies also shared with the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan. The Ambassador, sources said, is actively engaging with senior Pakistani officials to finalize the Prime Minister's agenda for bilateral meetings with Chinese leadership. In a recent letter, Wang Dongfang, CEO of Port Qasim Electric Power Company (PQEPC), expressed deep concern over the growing delays in tariff payments by the Central Power Purchasing Agency-Guaranteed (CPPA-G). Debt re-profiling with Chinese IPPs: PD, FD likely to share implementation proposal According to Wang, under the Government of Pakistan's guidance, the 1,320 MW Port Qasim Coal-Fired Power Project—one of the flagship energy ventures under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)—has consistently provided clean, reliable, and economical electricity to the national grid. 'While we highly appreciate the efforts of the Government of Pakistan and CPPA-G in arranging funds and making tariff payments to IPPs, the total outstanding amount due to PQEPC has reached Rs 81 billion (\$286.94 million) as of July 31, 2025, with a delay period of over six months, which could further escalate,' the letter stated. The CEO cautioned that shareholders and sponsors of the project, including those from China and Qatar, have conveyed 'significant discontent' over the payment backlog and have requested urgent measures to reduce the outstanding amount. 'We would like to notify that the current dues entitle PQEPC to suspend plant operations under Section 9.10 of the PPA, without any liability for Liquidated Damages (LDs),' the CEO warned. PQEPC also highlighted that its Energy Purchase Price (EPP) tariff is comparatively more competitive than oil- and RLNG-based power plants. Suspension of operations, the CEO warned, would result in a 'lose-lose' outcome, which both sides must avoid through timely settlement of dues to ensure sustainable generation and prevent triggering defaults under Loan Agreements and the Government of Pakistan's Sovereign Guarantee. Concluding his letter, Wang urged the Finance Minister, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb and Planning Minster, Ahsan Iqbal to take immediate notice of the 'critical situation' and coordinate with relevant authorities to arrange financial support for CPPA-G so that the outstanding dues could be cleared without further delay. When an official was contacted for comments on the correspondence of Chinese CPEC IPPs on payment of outstanding amounts, he responded that since the government does not have enough fiscal space, the payments will be made on the basis of availability of resources. However, energy payments are being made to them through Escrow Account. The government has earmarked Rs 5 billion per month to be paid to the Chinese CPEC IPPs. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
