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Punjab Cabinet clears new power duty guidelines for big power producers, solar plants
The Punjab Cabinet has passed the Punjab Electricity charge Rules, 2026 that would establish a new framework for levy of electricity charge on large private power production units including generators and solar power systems.
As per the accepted guidelines, the private generators and solar systems with capacity more than 500 KVA would be included into the electricity duty net. The step is intended to control major self-generation facilities in the industrial and commercial sectors.
Under the system, industrial and commercial consumers will be paid an electricity duty of four paisa per unit. Domestic consumers nevertheless have been advised to be fully exempted from the new tax.
The Punjab government estimates that the new tariff scheme will produce an annual revenue of Rs306 million. Officials said the new guidelines are expected to impact 1,177 industrial and commercial sites.
Electric Inspectors can seal power producing plants not in accordance with the laws. The balance payable shall be recovered under the Land Revenue Act.
The regulations also advocate giving Electric Inspectors authority to review records of private power producing facilities. Compulsory registration will be required for operators of private power producing installations.
Industrial and commercial self-generation units will have to install separate energy meters. Authorities have also agreed to maintain a record of all major self-generation systems including solar power systems.
Under the new system, operators should file monthly returns and keep log books recording electricity generation and consumption. Those who fail to pay the duty within the stipulated period will be liable to late payment penalty of 10 to 15 per cent.
The guidelines also call for fines and probable suspension of power producing activities for submitting erroneous records or violation of regulatory standards.
The Punjab administration has formally decided to replace the Electricity Duty Rules 2012 with the Punjab Electricity Duty Rules 2026 after getting the nod for the new framework.
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Pakistan begins issuing e-passports at diplomatic missions worldwide
Director General Immigration and Passports said that Pakistan has started issuing electronic passports (e-passports) at Pakistani diplomatic missions across the world, a major milestone achieved under the vision of the prime minister and orders of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
This launch was accomplished due to the ongoing effort of the team of Directorate General of Immigration and Passports.
The e-passport is equipped with state-of-the-art security measures and constructed according to international standards and is a step forward in modernising the passport services in Pakistan.
The director general said machine-readable passports currently issued would stay valid until their expiry dates, and e-passports would be issued to anyone applying for new passports.
The effort has been termed as a key step in modernising Pakistan’s passport services in line with the vision of “One Nation, One Passport, One Identity”.
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Interior Minister Naqvi warns against online fraud, cybercrime and blackmail
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has warned the residents about the increasing hazards of online fraud, cybercrime and blackmail and advised them not to post personal images and videos with unconnected persons.
New types of online fraud were coming to light, including situations where women and girls were coaxed into revealing their images and videos and later blackmailed, Naqvi said during a press briefing on cyber crime in the province capital.
He warned people, especially women, to be very careful about sharing personal images, as some people use pictures and films to blackmail. He made a special appeal to moms and sisters to keep their private images private.
The interior ministry also warned individuals not to transfer money online without verification, even if someone claimed to be sick and asked for financial help online, to avoid falling victim to online financial scam. He called on people to check the names of those who asked for money and to beware of bogus accounts.
Fraudsters impersonated residents on social media with bogus identities, Naqvi added. He said the cyber police are being mobilised to check cybercrime and measures are being taken to provide assistance to the victims in time.
He said he will start a public awareness campaign to educate individuals about online fraud, phoney identities and extortion. He also committed his complete support to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
The interior minister stated the NCCIA was getting the largest number of instances of harassment of girls. He said he encountered three girls who tried to commit suicide.
“It is important to prevent online harassment and blackmail, protect victims and provide timely assistance,” Naqvi said when talking about the occurrences.
He appealed to residents to be careful when using the internet and social media and to avoid unnecessarily sharing personal information and images and to report the proper authorities if they came across any suspicious online behaviour.
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German defence ministry accords guard of honour to President Zardari
A magnificent celebration was hosted in honour of President Asif Ali Zardari at the Ministry of Defence in Germany. Additionally, a guard of honour was presented to him at this event.
Upon President Zardari’s arrival at the German Ministry of Defence, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier extended a warm welcome to him. The ceremony included the playing of the national anthems of both countries, as well as the presentation of a guard of honour to the president of Pakistan.
In response to President Steinmeier’s invitation, President Zardari is currently taking a trip to Germany. Due to the fact that this is the first time in almost 23 years that a Pakistani head of state has travelled to Germany, the visit is of great significance.
During this year, Pakistan and Germany are also commemorating the 75th anniversary of the foundation of their diplomatic relations with one another.
During the course of his tour, President Zardari will meet with his German counterpart as well as senior officials from the German government. He will also be accompanied by a high-level team.
The topics that will be discussed include bilateral ties, events in the area and the world as a whole, and strategies to improve economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
Pakistan and Germany are expected to deepen their collaboration in a variety of fields as a result of President Zardari’s visit, which is likely to add new momentum to the bilateral relations between the two countries.
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