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October 13 blackout: What went wrong?

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Several parts of Pakistan, mainly Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan, were left without power after a fault was detected in the national grid’s southern transmission system last week on October 13.

It took the authorities several hours to restore the transmission system across Pakistan and the electricity supply returned to normal almost 24 hours later.

Following this, the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) formed a committee to probe the reasons behind the “partial blackout”.

A four-member committee was formed with NDTC’s General Manager (Technical) Lahore Muhammad Mustafa as its convener, while General, Manager (AM) North Lahore Anwar Ahmed Khan, Chief Engineer (TSG) North Lahore Muhammad Ijaz Khan, and Chief Engineer (OP) NPCC Islamabad Muhammad Zakaria Member were its members.

A handout from the Power Division Wednesday said that the NTDC’s committee has determined the reasons behind the blackout and the Ministry of Energy is taking immediate disciplinary action in light of the report.

The statement mentioned the following reasons:

  • The first reason for the blackout is the nondurable and sub-standard work done on Tower No 26 of Karachi’s nuclear power plants K-2 and K-three three years ago — in 2019.
  • The failure of the delivery system calls into question the quality of the equipment used in 2019 and the efficiency of the workers. The connectors used on it were not made for the transmission line but were modified and used for this temporary interconnection.
  • The project team used 25-year-old dilapidated conductors in 2019 at Tower No. 26, 26-A and 27.
  • In 2019, despite the sensitivity of nuclear power plants, it was not regularly repaired and maintained as per the prescribed standards.

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Irfan Siddiqui meets with the PM and informs him about the Senate performance of the parliamentary party.

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The head of the Senate’s Foreign Affairs Standing Committee and the PML-N’s parliamentary leader paid Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif a visit in Islamabad.

Senator Irfan Siddiqui gave the Prime Minister an update on the Parliamentary Party’s Senate performance.

Additionally, Senator Irfan Siddiqui gave the Prime Minister an update on the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs’ performance.

He complimented the Prime Minister on his outstanding efforts to bring Pakistan’s economy back on track and meet its economic objectives.

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SIFC Increases Direct Foreign Investment: Investment in the Energy Sector Rises by 120%

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The Special Investment Facilitation Council is intended to help Pakistan’s energy sector attract $585.6 million in direct foreign investment in 2024–2025. The amount invested at the same time previous year was $266.3 million.

This is a notable 120% rise, mostly due to investments in gas exploration, oil, and power. Such expansion indicates heightened investor confidence and emphasizes the development potential in important areas.

The State Bank reports that foreign investment in other vital industries has increased by 48% to $771 million.

This advancement is a blatant testament to SIFC’s efficient investment procedure and quick project execution.

The purpose of the Special Investment Facilitation Council is to establish Pakistan as an investment hub by aggressively promoting regional trade and investment in the energy sector and other critical industries.

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Discos report losses of Rs239 billion.

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When compared to the same period last year, the data indicates that discos have decreased their losses in the first quarter of the current fiscal year.

The distribution businesses recorded losses of Rs239 billion in the first three months of the current fiscal year, a substantial decrease from the Rs308 billion losses sustained during the same period the previous year.

Additionally, the distribution businesses’ rate of recovery has improved. It has increased to 91% in the first quarter of this year from 84% in the same period last year, indicating success in revenue collection.

Regarding circular debt, the Power division observed a notable change. Last year, between July and October, the circular debt grew by Rs301 billion. Nonetheless, this year’s first four months saw a relatively modest increase in circular debt, totaling about Rs11 billion.

These enhancements show promising developments in the electricity sector’s financial health in Pakistan, where initiatives are being made to accelerate recovery rates and slow the expansion of circular debt.

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