ISLAMABAD: The Federal Cabinet has approved new schedule for gas load management under which industries and CNG stations will be ordered to remain closed for two days every week.

As per the decision of the Federal Cabinet Sui Norther Gas Company will undertake gas load-management in winter season by dividing the industrial sector in four zones in areas under the company’s management.

Similarly, CNG stations in Punjab and NWFP will be ordered to remain closed for two days every week.

According to sources, 120 mmf gas will be saved by undertaking the gas load-management which will be supplied to the domestic consumers.

The gas load management will be carried out from November 15 to March 15.

LAHORE: The load shedding of 8 to 10 hours in urban areas, while 15 hour power outages in rural settlements persist in consequence of 3500 megawatt electricity deficit.

PEPCO is currently obtaining 9,100 MW electricity, a dreadfully low collective generation from hydel and thermal plants.

Various thermal power plants have been closed owing to lack of gas and furnace oil supply as well as provision of funds, while a collective generation of electricity by Tarbela, Mangla and Ghazi Barotha has declined to 2100 MW. The capacity is feared to diminish further with shrinking water flow.

With an aim to overcome the deteriorating power situation, PEPCO has been carrying out unannounced load shedding, which is affecting the domestic and commercial activities of the subscribers.

Sources at PEPCO said that the situation is better now and efforts are being made to bring the closed plants in operation to plug the deficit.

According to PEPCO sources, 600 MW electricity per day is being ensured to Karachi despite the current power crisis.

KARACHI: Buying continued at Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) on the second consecutive day (Wednesday) pushing the KSE-100 up by 38 points to 7,834.

The share market opened upbeat today and the Index stayed in the green territory till market close as investors cautiously took positions in cement and energy stocks. At one point the Index was also seen at 7,896 points.

The trade volume was registered at 140 million shares.

Lucky Cement was today’s volume leader which advanced by Rs3.71 to Rs78.10.

KSE-30 Index gained 28 points to peg at 8,310.

KARACHI: Karachi airport is suffering from shortage of JP-1 fuel leading to suspension of fuel supply to the planes.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued notices to the international airlines about the fuel shortage.

Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has said the supply of JP-1 fuel will resume from National Refinery in a day or two.

PSO will stop export of jet fuel to ensure its supply to the domestic airliners.

In what is suspected to be the first swine flu death in India, a 51-year-old NRI hailing from Kerala’s Kollam died at a private hospital in the district on Wednesday (July 1) night. “The man, identified as Stanely Pelis, had returned from the UK in early June. The end came around 9pm, just a couple of hours after he was admitted to the Holy Cross hospital,” the state’s director of health services K Shylaja said.
A throat swab has been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases in Delhi to identify if it was indeed the H1N1 virus, she added. Asked if Pelis had been quarantined on arrival, Shylaja said, “He had landed at the Mumbai airport from UK. He then took a domestic flight to Thiruvananthapuram and disembarked at the domestic terminal here on June 12”.

Shiv Sena activists in Maharashtra’s Thane district burnt 8 vehicles in protest against load shedding in. The agitators thronged in Electricity board office and raised slogans against added load shedding and steep hike in the electircity bills. They burnt vehicles in Vartak Nagar, Naupada and Wagle estate areas. Shiv Sena MLA Eknatah Shinde led the agitation and despite of his promise to the Police administration of peaceful protest, the party workers burnt the private vehicles.

The government on Tuesday (June 30) said the rise in international oil rate was a “matter of grave concern” but refused to say if retail fuel prices will be increased. “This is a matter of grave concern for us. We are trying to do whatever possible,” Petroleum Minister Murli Deora told reporters. International crude oil prices today almost touched USD 73 per barrel, widening the gap between the domestic retail fuel prices and cost of production.

ISLAMABAD: An organization which calls itself Abdullah Azzam Shaheed Brigade (AASB) has claimed responsibility of the Tuesday’s bomb blast at PC Hotel in Peshawar.

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to slash gas tariff by 2 to 10 per cent which will be effective from July 1, Ministry of Petroleum told Geo News on Wednesday.

In this regard, the summary has been sent to Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), the sources added.

According to the summary, the domestic consumers will get a relief of 2 per cent while gas rates will be reduced up to 10 per cent for the industrial consumers.

ISLAMABAD: A plot to target intelligence agencies and important personalities has been foiled, sources of intelligence agencies said here on Wednesday.

The plot was thwarted by intelligence agencies which apprehended four terrorists from Rawalpindi and two from Karachi, sources further said.

The arrested have been identified as Abdul Qadir, Musa Khan, Shershah, Umer, Zain and Hussain.