Author: Iqra Khan

Islamabad, Jan 6: The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is gearing up to be a major cricketing event, with initial 15-member squads due by January 12, as confirmed by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Hosted by Pakistan, the tournament will feature the world’s top cricketing nations competing for supremacy. Key Squad Submission Deadlines Initial Submission: January 12, 2025. Final Adjustments: Teams can modify their lineups, with the final 15-player squads to be submitted by February 12, 2025. England is currently the only team to have announced its squad. Other teams are expected to reveal their lineups in the coming days. Tournament…

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Islamabad, Jan 6: Mobile phone and internet services in Quetta have been suspended for two days starting Sunday night, with services expected to resume on Tuesday, January 7, at midnight. The suspension, attributed to security concerns, comes as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) calls for a province-wide shutter-down strike to press for their demands. Internet disruptions in Pakistan have resulted in massive economic losses. A report by Top10VPN.com highlighted that Pakistan incurred $1.62 billion in financial losses in 2024 due to internet shutdowns, making it the hardest-hit country globally, surpassing nations like Sudan and Myanmar. The report documented 18 deliberate shutdowns in…

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Islamabad, Jan 5: Petroleum Exploration (Pvt) Ltd (PEL) has successfully acquired significant energy assets from the Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC), including oil and gas concessions in the regions of Dadu, Kirthar, Tajjal, and Qadirpur. The acquisition involves leases for Bhit and Qadirpur, which are among the country’s most energy-rich regions, further expanding PEL’s exploration portfolio and reinforcing its presence in Pakistan’s energy sector. PEL’s CEO, Shahzad Zaheer, emphasized that this strategic move aligns with the company’s long-term objectives of exploring new energy sources, unlocking Pakistan’s untapped resources, and contributing to the nation’s energy security. The acquisition, Zaheer stated,…

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Islamabad, Jan 5: The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has committed to providing $210.12 million in financing to Pakistan for the reconstruction of the National Highway N-5 under the Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Framework. This marks the AIIB’s first standalone project in Pakistan’s transport sector. The aim of the project is to enhance climate resilience, improve operational efficiency, and boost road safety by upgrading critical four-lane segments into a six-lane dual carriageway that is more resilient to climate change. AIIB is currently evaluating the project, with the loan expected to be approved by May 2025. The first phase of…

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Islamabad, Jan 5: The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) has embarked on an important research study aimed at developing a “Roadmap for Honeybee Cluster Development” in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). This initiative is part of Pakistan’s Ten-Year Plan for the Honey Sector and seeks to evaluate the sector’s performance in terms of market trends, trade volume, and competitiveness. According to Rashid Aman, Chief of SMEDA KP, the research study will be completed within six months, with the aim of providing actionable policy recommendations to improve the sector’s growth. The study will also suggest necessary interventions by the government and…

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Islamabad, Jan 5: Pakistan’s leading fruit and vegetable exporter, Shahid Suntan, has ventured into the mushroom industry, making significant strides with a $6 million investment aimed at promoting mushroom production in the country. Through his initiative, Suntan has pioneered industrial mushroom production, with his SunGold Mushrooms farm now standing as the largest such farm in Pakistan, complete with its own spawn production lab and state-of-the-art facilities. Suntan explained that his goal is to promote “Made in Pakistan” globally and contribute to the growth of the mushroom market. He highlighted that while many modern farms produce mushrooms, SunGold’s capacity stands out,…

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Islamabad, Jan 5: The 4th International Hydropower Conference 2025, organized by Energy Update in collaboration with the Private Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB) and the International Hydropower Association, will take place on January 9. The conference aims to bring together industry leaders, policymakers, and global experts to explore the transformative role of hydropower in shaping a sustainable energy future for Pakistan. The event will kick off with an inaugural session featuring key addresses from notable figures such as M. Naeem Qureshi, Managing Editor of Energy Update; Shah Jahan Mirza, Managing Director of PPIB; Eddie Rich, CEO of the International Hydropower Association…

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Islamabad, Jan 5: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), under its mission to provide education to underprivileged regions, has announced that it will offer free matriculation education to children residing in Balochistan, Ex-FATA, and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Nasir Mahmood shared the details of the initiative on Sunday, emphasizing that the move aims to uplift these remote and neglected areas by making education more accessible. The AIOU has opened admissions for the Spring 2025 semester for a range of programs, from matric to PhD, and children in these areas can avail themselves of free education by contacting the university’s…

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Islamabad, Jan 5: In an effort to enhance accessibility and improve service delivery for Karachi residents, the government has decided to introduce passport services at two major NADRA centers in the city. The new initiative will allow citizens to avail passport-related services at the NADRA Mega Centre 5 Star Chowrangi and NADRA Mega Centre Siemens Chowrangi (SITE). This move aims to reduce overcrowding at the central passport office and provide more convenient locations for the public. The decision follows a visit by Director General Passport Mustafa Jamal Qazi to Karachi, during which discussions focused on integrating passport services within NADRA…

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Islamabad, Jan 5: According to the latest data from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the country’s banking sector saw a significant increase in bank advances, which grew by Rs. 700 billion as of December 27, 2024. The sector’s Advance-to-Deposit Ratio (ADR) also improved to 51.8 percent, marking a notable recovery from its previous low of 38.4 percent in August 2024. This increase of 13.5 percentage points over the last few months reflects a positive shift in the banking sector’s lending activities. Despite this growth in advances, the overall banking sector deposits decreased by 2.3 percent between August and December…

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