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NEPRA likely to notify decrease in power tariff

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ISLAMABAD , APRIL 22  : The electricity rates for consumers are expected to go down by over 61 paisas per unit under monthly fuel cost adjustments for March.

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) will take up for public hearing on April 28 the tariff petition seeking a reduction in consumer tariff for Discos on account of fuel cost adjustment of electricity consumed in March.

The lower fuel cost, on approval by the regulator, would be adjusted in consumer bills in the upcoming billing month of May.

The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) on behalf of Discos has demanded a reduction of 61 paisas per unit to pass on the benefit of a better energy mix with consumers.

NEPRA given autonomy regarding power tariff as president sings ordinance.

The CPPA said it had charged consumers a reference fuel tariff of Rs6.23 per unit in March while the actual fuel cost turned out to be Rs5.61 per unit and hence 61 paisas per unit should be adjusted in consumers’ bills for next month.

Total energy generation from all sources in March was recorded at 8,965 Gwh at a total cost of Rs49.7 billion at an average rate of Rs5.55 per unit. Of this, about 8,614 Gwh were delivered to the Discos at Rs48.37bn, at an average rate of Rs5.61 per unit.

PML- N has proved it has no competitor in art of brazen lying: Fawad

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ISLAMABAD, Apr 22  : Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said on Thursday that from Panama to Corona, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz ( PML- N) has proved it has no competitor in the art of brazen lying.

The minister said that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had claimed that the world has overcome coronavirus pandemic but it was spreading in our country.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s statement about corona was the manifestation of the fact that Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz leadership was ethically corrupt.

Taking a jibe on the  PML-N, he said  they have the  audacity and confidence to tell even the biggest lies easily.

Uganda shuts its only wild rhino sanctuary to public

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The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has closed the country’s only wild rhino sanctuary to the public amid an ongoing dispute between the owners of the land and Rhino Fund Uganda – the organisation managing the rhinos.

The UWA spokesperson, Bashir Hangi, says the agency has now taken over the security of the ranch to protect the animals.

Some 27 people were arrested on charges of aggravated robbery, theft and malicious damage to property after they accessed the ranch on 16 April and destroyed office equipment and documents as the dispute over the sanctuary escalated.

Police say they accessed the property passing off as tourists.

The UWA plans to relocate the animals from the 16,000 acre (6,400 hectares) sanctuary in the near future.

Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife ranch, located about 176 km (109 miles) north of the capital Kampala, is home to 33 southern white rhinos.

It was established in 2006 as a protected area for re-introduction of the white rhino whose population was nearing extinction in the country.

Pakistan to receive first batch of Pfizer BioNTech vaccine by June

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KARACHI , APRIL 22 : Pakistan has prepared to acquire at least 100,000 doses of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine of Pfizer BioNTech through COVAX by June this year.

For preparation beforehand, the country has already procured and installed ultra cold chain (UCC) refrigerators in Islamabad and all the federating units for storage of the vaccine, officials said.

Confirming the development, an official of the National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination said: “COVAX has assured us of providing at least 100,000 doses of mRNA vaccine of Pfizer BioNTech by June this year. On their assurance, we have acquired and installed 23 UCC refrigerators throughout Pakistan.”

The double-dose Pfizer vaccine has a shelf life of six months when stored at minus-75C (minus-103F), which represents a logistical challenge in many countries as it requires specialised freezers.

However, officials in Pakistan said they had already taken care of the storage issue by installing 23 UCC freezers at 16 locations across Pakistan.

Pakistan procures 23 UCC refrigerators

The official said with the financial assistance from Asian Development Bank (ADB) available with the UNICEF, Pakistan has procured 23 UCC refrigerators.

According to NHS officials, eight UCC refrigerators have been installed at EPI, NIH Islamabad, as well as the Tarlai Rural Health Centre.

Read more: NIH planning to develop single-dose coronavirus vaccine in Pakistan

One refrigerator is installed at the district health authority office in Rawalpindi, two at the principal EPI headquarter in Karachi, one at the EPI office in Hyderabad and one at the EPI headquarter in Quetta.

Similarly, one UCC refrigerator each has been installed at Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Gujranwala, and Gilgit.

The official noted that two UCC refrigerators have been installed in Mirpur Azad Kashmir and Muzaffarabad, while three UCC refrigerators have been installed in Peshawar, Abbottabad, and Swat.

Apart from the installation of refrigerators, specialised and trained teams had been hired to install the sophisticated equipment to ensure that precious vaccines and biological products remain safe in them.

Pakistan to receive 2.5 million doses of AstraZeneca’s Covishield vaccine

According to NHS officials, in addition to 100,000 doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, COVAX has also assured that Pakistan would be provided 2.5 million doses of AstraZeneca’s Covishield vaccine from a “non-Indian” source after Indian authorities diverted the vaccine supplies to meet domestic needs.

“COVAX has further assured to provide us 2.5 million doses of AstraZeneca by May-June from a non-Indian source,” the official said.

“We are quite satisfied with the assurance and are planning to open the registration of all the adults in the country after Eid-ul-Fitr,” the official said, adding that registration of healthcare workers has also re-started till April 30, 2021, to help those who have not been vaccinated yet.

Pakistan, Iran ties have entered into new era of development: FM

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TEHRAN (Iran), Apr 22  :  Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday said the relations between Pakistan and Iran had taken a new turn in the direction of positivity and cooperation.

In a video statement issued on the  conclusion of his visit to the Iranian capital, the foreign minister said the fraternal relations between the two countries had deepened.

The Iranian President agreed that bilateral relations between Pakistan and Iran had improved remarkedly over the past two-and-a-half years.

He said his meetings with Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, foreign minister Jawad Zarif and the Speaker of Iranian Parliament focused on strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing people-to-people contacts.

Qureshi said it was agreed that, like Pakistan, the parliament of Iran should also play a role in countering the growing trend of Islamophobia in the West.

On the situation in Afghanistan, he said both sides had greater consensus on the issue for efforts towards peace and stability.

Qureshi said the Iranian side updated him regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) talks with the United States.

He said the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Pakistan and Iran would open trade centers in the border areas.

Today, he said, a new crossing point in Mand and Pishin had been opened which would not only benefit the locals but also strengthen bilateral trade.

Qureshi said he was returning from Tehran “very satisfied”.

Chinese firm to build 82MWs hydropower plant in Chitral, costing $200m

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BEIJING, APRIL 22  : China’s Sinohydro will build a run-of-the-river hydropower plant in Chitral of Pakistan’s northern KP province to produce 82MWs, or 380 GWh per annum, of clean energy at the cost of $200 million, Gwadar pro reported on Thursday.

The Turtonas-Uzghor hydropower project will be executed by Uzghor Hydropower Pvt. Ltd., a consortium of China’s hydropower giant Sinohydro and Pakistan’s Sachal Group.

The project site is located 5 kilometres away from the existing 108MWs Golen Gol HPP on Golen Gol River, a tributary of Mastuj river in Pakistan’s north-most district of Chitral. Chitral is adjacent to Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, which borders China.

On April 19, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) approved the tariff petition of the sponsors, thus allowing the Sinohydro-led consortium to go ahead with the project.

project will be completed in 4 years after the commencement of the civil works, according to an official document of NEPRA as per the Gwadar pro’s report.

The Private Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB) has already approved the project design, feasibility study, and financial proposal of the project.

The National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) has also allowed interconnection of the project with the transmission line of the existing Golen Gol HPP, which is an additional advantage in the execution of the project, NEPRA stated.

The relevant body of KP province has declared the project as environment-friendly, it further stated.

Sinohydro is a global leader in hydropower generation and has also executed several successful projects in Pakistan.

The Uzghor hydropower project will be executed under independent hydropower producer (IHPP) mode under a 30-year post-completion period.

India records biggest ever rise in coronavirus cases anywhere in the world

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NEW DELHI , APRIL 22 : India reported on Thursday 314,835 new cases of the coronavirus over the previous 24 hours, the highest daily increase recorded anywhere, as its second wave and similar surges elsewhere in the world raised new fears about the virus.

Hospitals across northern and western India including the capital, New Delhi, have issued notices to say they have only a few hours of medical oxygen required to keep COVID-19 patients alive.

More than two-thirds of hospitals had no vacant beds, according to the Delhi government’s online data base and doctors advised patients to stay at home.

“COVID19 has become a public health crisis in India leading to a collapse of the healthcare system,” Krutika Kuppalli, assistant professor at the Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of South Carolina in the United States.

The previous record one-day rise in cases was held by the United States, which had 297,430 new cases on one day in January, though its tally has since fallen sharply.

India’s total cases are now at 15.93 million, while deaths rose by 2,104 to reach a total of 184,657, according to the latest health ministry data.

Television showed images of people with empty oxygencylinders crowding refilling facilities in the most populousstate of Uttar Pradesh as they scrambled to save relatives in hospital.

India has launched a vaccination drive but only a tiny fraction of the population has had the shots.

Authorities have announced that vaccines will be available to anyone over the age of 18 from May 1 but India won’t have enough shots for the 600 million people who will become eligible, experts say.

Similar surges of infections elsewhere, in South America in particular, are overwhelming health services there.

Health experts said India had let its guard down when thevirus seemed to be under control during the winter, when new daily cases were about 10,000, and it lifted restrictions to allow big gatherings.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has come in for criticism for holding packed political rallies for local elections and allowing a religious festival at which millions gathered.

On Thursday, despite the biggest public health emergency the country has faced in a generation, people were voting in the eastern state of West Bengal for a new state assembly in an election that Modi has been campaigning in.

“It’s a festival of democracy and everyone is participating. You can see the queues,” said Krishna Kalyan, a candidate from Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Conte says UEFA needs to change as Italian teams give up on Super League

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Milan, April 22  : Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte, whose club were among 12 involved in the failed European Super League project, believes UEFA needs to consider a possible better distribution of revenues.

Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus on Wednesday reluctantly followed all six English clubs as well as Atletico Madrid in giving up on the closed European tournament, while continuing to push for change in world football.

Conte said that while sport should always be based on “meritocracy” and “traditions”, he believed the system of distribution of rights by the sport’s governing bodies needs to evolve.

“Only a small part is given to clubs participating in competitions,” said the former Chelsea and Juventus coach after the Serie A leaders were held 1-1 in their midweek league game against Spezia.

“Meritocracy must come first. Having said that, after everything that has happened, UEFA, they have to reflect too.”

“Clubs invest a lot in players and coaches, UEFA does not invest, although players are squeezed like lemons. Clubs must be rewarded more appropriately,” he added.

Italian champions Juventus, whose president Andrea Agnelli was one of the driving forces behind the ill-fated proposal, accepted the withdrawal of most of the founding teams made the plan unworkable.

“(Juventus) believe that at present there are limited chances that the project be completed in the form originally conceived,” the Turin club said.

They added that they were “convinced of the soundness of the project’s sport, commercial and legal premises”.

In an interview given before the withdrawal of the English clubs, Agnelli had insisted the breakaway league would go ahead.

“Between our clubs, there is a blood pact, we will move forward. (The project) has a 100 percent chance of success,” Agnelli told La Repubblica.

“Football is no longer a game but an industrial sector and it needs stability.”

Shares in Juventus plunged, closing the day on Wednesday at more than 13 percent down, at 0.735 euros, having reached their highest level since September on the announcement of the project.

Juve chief football officer Fabio Paratici defended the project as “a unique opportunity to try to lend a hand to the whole football pyramid”.

“It was the same when we changed our logo. In the beginning it wasn’t perceived well. It takes time to metabolise,” he said after the team’s 3-1 league win over Parma on Wednesday.

“These 72 hours were unique, we remain convinced of the goodness of the idea, of the project.”

Jahangir Tareen says will meet PM Imran Khan soon

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LAHORE: Estranged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen Thursday said his meeting with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan will be held soon.

Talking to the media after appearing before the session court in the sugar scam case, Tareen said he has a long-standing relationship with PM Imran Khan which is not weak.

The PTI leader went on to say that baseless FIRs have been lodged against him, and a civil case has been turned into a criminal case. He stressed that he will get justice from the court as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had also sent him tax notices but no allegation was proven.

He said the entire group that supports him wants to meet the premier, not any committee, to discuss the matter. “A day before Iftar dinner hosted for the group, contact was established from Islamabad,” Tareen said and added that he was assured of meeting with PM Khan in few days.

Jahangir Tareen said as many as 40 assembly members are supporting him.

Last week, it emerged that efforts underway to establish contact between Prime Minister Imran Khan and PTI leader and Jahangir Tareen.

According to sources, some ministers in the federal government made back-door contacts with Jahangir Tareen and are trying to mediate between the two of them.

PM Imran seeks report on Quetta blast

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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has summoned a detailed report on the Quetta blast.

Bomb blast near Quetta’s Sereena Chowk claimed five lives, while 10 others got injured on Wednesday night. According to the provincial government spokesperson, the blast occurred in the parking lot of a private hotel located at Quetta’s Jinnah road near Serena Chowk.

Monitoring the whole situation till late at night, the premier directed the interior ministry to investigate the incident from all its aspects and reach the depth of the matter.

Earlier, Interior Minister, Sheikh Rasheed strongly condemning the Quetta blast had expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the incident and sympathized with the affected families.

The minister sought a report from the Balochistan Chief Secretary over the tragic incident.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Chief Minister Balochistan, Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, JI Chief Sirajul Haq and other political leaders have also strongly condemned the Quetta blast.

They say the enemies of Pakistan’s peace and progress will fail in their nefarious designs.

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