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Power breakdown: Khurram Dastagir assures of complete restoration by tonight

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  • Committee formed to probe “accidental fault”.
  • Inquiry team to submit report within five days.
  • Says tripping that triggered breakdown started from Karachi.

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI/QUETTA/LAHORE: Following a major breakdown that affected large parts of the country Thursday, Energy Minister Khurram Dastagir Khan assured the nation that the electricity transmission system will be “completely restored” between Maghrib and Isha.

“We will restore the system between Maghrib and Isha,” said the minister in a press conference. He added that an inquiry team has been formed headed by GM Technical NTDC to investigate the matter which will submit its report within five days.

The minister told reporters that due to the breakdown a shortfall of 8,000 megwatts emerged, adding that at least 4,700 megawatts have been restored.

“Faisalabad and Multan regions have been restored completely,” he said, adding that Sukkur Electric Supply Company (SEPCO) has been partially restored.

Khan said that it will take a few hours to restore the plants that have tripped and was hopeful that plants providing electricity to Karachi will also be restored.

“Electricity needs to be restored in Quetta and Karachi,” said Khan, adding that the tripping that triggered the breakdown started from the port city and spread to the other parts of the country. 

Earlier today, the Energy Ministry had said that southern parts of the country, mainly Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan, were left without power after a fault was detected in the national grid’s southern transmission system.

“Due to an accidental fault in the country’s southern transmission system, multiple southern power plants are tripping which is affecting the transmission of electricity in the southern part of the country,” tweeted the ministry.

The ministry shared that it was working to detect the fault and restore electricity in the southern part country at the earliest.

SHC issues KE CEO’s arrest warrants

Meanwhile, the officials of K-Electric appeared before the Sindh High Court (SHC) after a bench issued arrest warrants for the power utility’s chief executive officer (CEO).

They informed the court that the KE wasn’t responsible for the power outage. “The entire country’s power system is down,” they said.

Earlier, SHC Justice Salahuddin Panhwar issued the arrest warrants for the KE CEO, directing the officials to implement the arrest orders within an hour. 

He expressed annoyance over the suspension of the power supply since 9:30am, as city courts and the accountability courts within Karachi were also left without power following the breakdown.

He asked how the court could hold proceedings with no electricity.

Areas without electricity

In a statement, Karachi-Electric said that restoration efforts were underway across the metropolis and the power utility’s teams were actively monitoring and addressing the situation. 

“Strategic installations including the airport and hospitals have been energised,” the sole electricity provider of the city said.

Restoration of residential areas is progressing gradually, it said, adding that parts of North Nazimabad, Buffer Zone, Baloch Colony, Nursery, KDA Scheme 1, parts of DHA, and other areas have been energised. 

“KE’s network is safe and fully operational enabling quick restoration. KE actively remains in touch with all relevant stakeholders on the matter,” the utility said. 

Other districts of Sindh that were without power were Hyderabad, Thatta, Jamshoro, Sujawal, Badin, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allah Yar; Mirpurkhas, Umarkot, Sanghar, Nawabshah, Matiari, Tharparkar, Larkana.

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FO admits that a boat capsized in Greece, killing four Pakistanis.

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The deaths of four Pakistanis in a boat capsizing event close to the southern Greek island of Goudos have been verified by the Foreign Office.

The incident happened on Sunday and at least five illegal immigrants drowned as a result. According to Greek Coast Guards, 39 people were rescued after the wooden boat overturned, but 40 more are still unaccounted for.

According to a Foreign Office spokeswoman, the four Pakistani nationals were among those killed in the catastrophe. In order to help the remaining Pakistanis and repatriate the corpses of the deceased, the Pakistani Embassy in Athens has been in close communication with Greek authorities, she said.

Additional information was given by Aamir Aftab Qureshi, Pakistan’s ambassador to Greece, during a press conference. According to him, there were 80 Pakistanis on board the doomed boat, and efforts are still being made to find the people who are still missing.

He added that the overcrowding on the boat was a factor in the capsizing. There are worries over the safety of the missing people because a sizable portion of them are children. He stated that five boats carrying Pakistani nationals were traveling illegally from Libya.

The public was also informed by Ambassador Qureshi that the government will pay for the return flight of the accident victims’ bodies.

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Every office will have a biometric system installed by Lesco.

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system in each office.

Details show that the LESCO had ordered the installation of biometric systems in all offices, including the divisions and the circle.

The installation of the biometric system at the headquarters resulted in an increase in attendance, as the LESCO CEO had stated.

The CEO of LESCO claimed that the biometric system has resolved the issues related to the fictitious overtime and off-days.

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Around 450 Pakistanis have successfully crossed into Lebanon from Syria, according to a briefing from the Foreign Office.

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Approximately 450 Pakistanis, including 250 Zaireen, have successfully crossed into Lebanon from Syria, according to the spokesperson for the Foreign Office, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch.

During her weekly briefing at the foreign office in Islamabad, she stated that Pakistan is pleased with the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly on the Gaza Strip, which calls for an immediate ceasefire.

In addition, she expressed her satisfaction with the elimination of limits placed on UNRWA’s ability to carry out relief activities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

It was stated by her that Pakistan is demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities in Palestine, an end to the genocide that is taking place in Gaza, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, unrestricted access to humanitarian aid for those who are in urgent need, full support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and its mandated humanitarian activities, and medical assistance for those who are in urgent need.

Moreover, she stated that Pakistan emphasises the need for the international community to hold Israel accountable for the war crimes and crimes against humanity that it has committed in occupied lands.

The Israeli aggression against Syria, the illegitimate acquisition of Syrian territory, and the massive devastation of Syrian infrastructure as well as civilian and military sites are all topics that Pakistan is extremely worried about, according to the spokesperson for Pakistan.

According to her, this attack on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is a serious violation of international law to the highest degree. By expressing our support for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we are also expressing our opposition to the Israeli government’s attempt to acquire territory through coercion.

The resolution 497 of the United Nations Security Council, which declares the annexation of the Golan Heights by Israel to be null and illegal and to have no international legal impact, was reaffirmed by her organisation.

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