Federal Maritime Affairs Minister Announces Plan to Establish Pakistan’s Own Shipping Line

New-Project30

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, has announced that the government has agreed in principle to establish Pakistan’s own shipping line, fulfilling a long-standing demand of the country’s business community. The announcement came during the minister’s visit to the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) Head Office in Karachi, where he held an extensive consultative session with leading figures from the business, trade, and shipping sectors. Mr. Atif Ikram Sheikh, President of FPCCI, informed the media that the federal minister had endorsed the federation’s…

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Pakistan Produces 55 billion Plastic Bags Annually: FPCCI Marks World Environment Day with Urgent Call to Action

New-Project28

Only 3% of Plastic Waste Recycled as Experts Demand Shift to Eco-Friendly Alternatives Karachi: Provincial governments in Pakistan should launch mass awareness campaigns to encourage the public to adopt environment-friendly alternatives to plastic shopping bags and PET bottles and to promote the reuse and recycling of waste to reduce the carbon footprint associated with daily consumption habits in society. This was the key consensus among environmentalists, climate activists, media professionals, and industrialists at an event held to commemorate World Environment Day. The United Nations has designated this year’s theme as…

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OCAC Urges Rs10/Litre OMC Margin, Proposes Joint Formula with Ogra and Petroleum Division

New-OCAC

KARACHI – The Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) has called for an immediate revision of oil marketing company (OMC) margins to Rs10 per litre and urged the development of a formal pricing formula in collaboration with the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division), and the oil industry. In a letter to the Ogra chairperson, the OCAC emphasized the urgent need to revise OMC margins, citing challenges such as fuel smuggling, a high turnover tax, insufficient margins, and escalating operational costs. The council referenced a…

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Petroleum Sales Jump 10% in May Amid Economic Recovery, Diesel Demand Surge

Petrol-Diesel

KARACHI – Pakistan’s petroleum product sales climbed 10% year-on-year (YoY) in May 2025 to 1.53 million tonnes, fueled by increased demand for high-speed diesel (HSD), lower fuel prices, and signs of economic rebound. Month-on-month (MoM), sales rose 5% from April, driven by seasonal diesel use during the wheat harvest and a reduction in fuel smuggling. Excluding furnace oil (FO), May sales reached 1.45 million tonnes, up 10% YoY and 6% MoM. For July-May FY25, total sales rose 7% YoY to 14.76 million tonnes, while ex-FO sales climbed 9% YoY to…

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Punjab CM Announces Up to 40% Power Tariff Relief, Launches Major Public Welfare Initiatives

Maryam-Nawaz

LAHORE – In a landmark move to ease the burden of electricity costs, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced a reduction of up to 40% in power tariffs for consumers of Quaid-e-Azam Thermal Power Pvt Ltd and Punjab Thermal Power Pvt Ltd. Chairing the provincial cabinet meeting on Tuesday, CM Maryam said the relief aims to significantly lower electricity bills and offer maximum respite to the people. Punjab becomes the first province to voluntarily reduce power tariffs. The cabinet meeting also celebrated the PML-N’s by-election victory in Sambrial, attributing…

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