Islamabad, Oct 9: Electric Buses in Islamabad City Plans Complete Shift to Green Transport by 2025 On Tuesday, Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) deliberated on extensive strategies to transition commercial vehicles to electric energy. During a session, Randhawa highlighted the significance of this shift, asserting that the project signifies a crucial move toward establishing a more sustainable and efficient public transport system in Islamabad. The switch from conventional buses to electric buses is anticipated to revamp the city’s transportation framework while significantly decreasing its carbon emissions. The chairman urged for an examination of the possibility…
Author: Mawadat Fatima
Islamabad, Oct 9: Transport Fares Remain High Despite Significant Petroleum Price Cuts Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal led a session of the National Price Monitoring Committee, which noted that the reduction in fuel prices has not been adequately reflected in lower transport fares, raising concerns. Officials from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) delivered a comprehensive report on the current inflation scenario. PBS pointed out a notable inconsistency between the prices of several food items and those in the open market. The PBS also underscored significant differences between wholesale and retail prices for certain key goods at both the…
Islamabad, Oct 9: The Sugar Advisory Board (SAB) has granted approval for sugar mills to export 500,000 tons of sugar, with the stipulation that mills must commence the sugarcane crushing season prior to November 21, 2024. This decision was made during a meeting held on Tuesday, chaired by Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Rana Tanveer Hussain. During the meeting, it was revealed that as of September 30, 2024, 0.826 million metric tons of sugar stock remained available. Additionally, farmers have planted 1,192 thousand hectares of land for the 2024-25 season, reflecting a 1.05 percent increase compared to the 2023-24…
Islamabad, Oct 8: SBP Raises Retail Portfolio Limit to Rs. 300 Million The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced on Monday that the regulatory retail portfolio limit will be increased from Rs. 180 million to Rs. 300 million, effective immediately, as stated in a circular. The circular also mentioned that all other instructions regarding this matter will remain unchanged. This adjustment references previous guidelines on Minimum Capital Requirements from 2020 and aims to provide regulatory relief to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) decision to increase the regulatory retail portfolio limit to Rs. 300 million…
Islamabad, Oct 8: RDA Launches New Property Transfer System On Monday, Kinza Murtaza, the Director General (DG) of the Rawalpindi Development Authority, launched a new property transfer system aimed at facilitating citizens. During a meeting she chaired, the DG announced that residents can now complete online property transfers for Rawalpindi Improvement Trust (RIT) schemes. She noted that both the property transfer application and challan would be available online. The DG explained that, following the directives of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz, reforms are being implemented within the RDA, which includes phasing out the old manual file system. She highlighted that…
Islamabad, Oct 8: Women on Wheels Program Launched in Punjab to Empower Women In line with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s vision to promote women’s empowerment, Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Beenish Fatima has officially launched the ‘Women on Wheels’ program at the Girls Guide House in Rawalpindi. According to a police spokesperson, CTO Fatima invited women at the Girls Guide House to take part in scooter or motorcycle driving training through this initiative. Those interested can contact the traffic police to register for the training sessions, which will be held at the institute. The program’s inauguration featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony,…
Islamabad, Oct 8: Supreme Court Probes Illegal Housing Scheme in Margalla Hills The Supreme Court of Pakistan requested information from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Chief Commissioner of ICT regarding the North Range Housing Society located in the Margalla Hills National Park. The court directed the respondents to provide details of ownership and building approvals at the next hearing. A bench led by the Chief Justice of Pakistan heard the case concerning residential activities in the Margalla Hills. During the proceedings, lawyer Umar Gillani noted that the CDA had reported the housing society as illegal and alleged that…
Islamabad, Oct 8: SNGPL Pipeline Contract: Rs. 2.74 Billion Awarded to Crescent Steel SNGPL Gas Company Limited (PSX: SNGP) has granted a contract to Crescent Steel and Allied Products Limited (PSX: CSAP) for the provision of bare steel line pipes with diameters of 12 and 18 inches, totaling Rs. 2,740 million. This contract is anticipated to be completed by the third quarter of the fiscal year 2024-25, as stated in a stock filing by CSAP. CSAP is involved in five sectors: Steel, Cotton, Investment and Infrastructure Development (IID), Energy, and Hadeed (Billet). At the time of the filing, CSAP’s stock…
Islamabad, Oct Babar Azam Captaincy Replacement Mohsin Naqvi’s Update In the wake of Babar Azam’s resignation as Pakistan’s white-ball captain, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has addressed the speculation surrounding his successor. Babar, recognized as one of Pakistan’s leading batsmen, announced his resignation last week, citing the pressures of captaincy and a desire to focus more on his batting. Naqvi emphasized the importance of the captaincy during a recent media briefing, urging careful consideration in the selection process. “I have told them to take a decision after careful consideration because the captain’s position is important,” he stated. This…
Islamabad, Oct 8: NDMA issues advance cyclonic storm alert for Pakistan coast The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a warning regarding a potential cyclonic situation along Pakistan’s coastal belt in the Arabian Sea. According to the NDMA alert, there is cyclonic activity near the east-central Arabian Sea that is likely to develop into a storm, urging the public to remain vigilant. A cyclonic circulation over the South Kerala coast in India is expected to contribute to the formation of a low-pressure area around October 9th, near Lakshadweep and the east-central Arabian Sea. This system may gradually move northwestward…
