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PM Shehbaz to depart for Baku as Islamabad eyes LNG cargoes

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  • PM’s visit comes as Pakistan aims to get LNG from Baku.
  • Premier to hold wide-ranging talks with the Azerbaijani president.
  • PM Shehbaz’s entourage would also include relevant ministers.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, invited by President Ilham Aliyev, will travel to Azerbaijan today (Wednesday) as Islamabad aims to obtain spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries from Baku.

In a recent development, Pakistan released two tenders for spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments after nearly a year, coinciding with the announcement of a monthly LNG cargo agreement with Azerbaijan.

Pakistan has encountered difficulties in procuring spot cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) due to its dependence on gas for power generation and limited foreign exchange reserves, aggravated by the spike in global prices resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik, on Tuesday, announced that Azerbaijan had agreed to provide Pakistan with a monthly LNG cargo at a more affordable price. Although specific details of the supply agreement were not disclosed, Malik confirmed that a contract had been signed with Azerbaijan and that the deliveries would commence in the near future.

This situation resulted in widespread power outages. However, Asian spot LNG prices have significantly declined this year, dropping from the record highs of $70/mmBtu in August to below $10.

Meanwhile, the prime minister’s entourage would also include ministers representing the priority areas of cooperation with Azerbaijan.

During his visit, the premier will hold wide-ranging talks with the Azerbaijani president on key areas of cooperation, including trade, investment, and energy.

Meanwhile, regional and global issues of mutual concern and cooperation in multilateral forums will also be discussed.

“Pakistan-Azerbaijan relationship is embedded in commonalities of faith, culture and history, and strengthened by mutual trust and convergence of views on regional and global matters,” the FO statement read.

The minister added that the frequent leadership-level exchanges highlight the bonds of friendship between the two countries and contribute to closer multifaceted cooperation for the mutual benefit of the people of Pakistan and Azerbaijan.

On the other hand, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) will meet today (Wednesday) with Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar to take up the issue of approval for the import of distressed LNG for the third time from an Azerbaijan firm SOCAR, based in the UK.

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The PPP and PML-N will confer on power-sharing arrangements in Punjab today.

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The coordination committees of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are scheduled to convene today at the Governor’s House in Lahore to deliberate on power-sharing arrangements in Punjab.

The PPP delegation would comprise Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Mahmood, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Hassan Murtaza, and Ali Haider Gilani.

Ishaq Dar, Azam Nazir Tarar, Rana Sanaullah, Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, and Maryam Aurangzeb will represent the PML-N.

The conference will discuss local issues in Punjab and offer a forum for the PPP to express its concerns over its collaboration with PML-N in the province.

Both parties seek to fortify their partnership and optimize governance techniques in Punjab.

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Sheikh Rasheed says PTI and government negotiations won’t provide any results.

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Sheikh Rasheed voiced his worries about the nation’s ongoing political dilemma while speaking outside the Anti-Terrorism Court.

According to Sheikh Rasheed, a committee was established to negotiate, but the process has not produced any tangible results. In order to emphasize the seriousness of the situation, he said, “Political conditions are extremely bad.”

He made the joke, “Even after war, if negotiations fail, then it will all come down to judo karate,” in reference to the next steps.

“Everyone there prays for Pakistan’s betterment,” Sheikh Rasheed, who had returned from Saudi Arabia, said. He emphasized the necessity for the nation’s circumstances to improve and stabilize.

Assad Qaiser, a former speaker and PTI leader, had earlier called on Speaker Ayaz Sadiq of the National Assembly to discuss the official start of talks with the government.

The two leaders shared their opinions on bringing parties together on matters of national importance and reducing political tensions and conflict.

“I will persuade my people, you persuade the hardliners in your party,” Ayaz Sadiq said to Assad Qaiser.

The party’s founder is in jail, and the PTI leadership has asked to meet with him. “We will continue to confer with him,” Assad Qaiser declared.

Earlier, PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai stated that if the discussions don’t begin, a campaign of civil disobedience will begin on December 14.

Speaking to the media Regarding the meetings, Yousafzai claimed that the government ministers were making insincere remarks.

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Bushra Bibi maintains bail as the IHC concludes the FIA’s petition.

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The Islamabad High Court (IHC) conducted a hearing about the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) plea for the revocation of Bushra Bibi’s bail.

The court, led by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, rejected the FIA’s petition during the hearing.

Judicial Proceedings

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb sought information regarding Bushra Bibi’s location, to which her attorney, Barrister Salman Safdar, affirmed her attendance in court.

The judge urged the counsel to regard the matters with gravity, underscoring the necessity of adherence to trial protocols.

The court sought details about instances where Bushra Bibi had been exempted from attending trial hearings and clarified that if the High Court grants bail and the accused fails to appear, the trial court holds the authority to cancel the bail.

Justice Aurangzeb assured that such actions would not amount to contempt of the High Court’s order.

Based on these considerations, the court closed the proceedings and dismissed the FIA’s plea.

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