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The $47 billion power expansion plan through 2035 is approved by NEPRA.

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 The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has approved a $47 billion power expansion plan aimed at meeting Pakistan’s electricity generation and transmission requirements through 2035, while rejecting a $900 million investment in a battery energy storage system as unnecessary.

NEPRA approved the Integrated System Plan 2025-35 submitted by the Independent System and Market Operator (ISMO). However, it rejected the proposed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) investment, saying it had not been properly evaluated through the ISMO optimization model.

NEPRA also revealed that Pakistan’s cheapest renewable electricity had not been incorporated into national planning for more than a year despite repeated warnings by the regulator.

According to the plan, the country’s maximum electricity demand is expected to rise from 26,950 megawatts in 2025 to 35,521 megawatts in 2035. To meet this demand, a total of 26,045 megawatts of new generation capacity will be required, including 17,485 megawatts from already allocated projects and 8,560 megawatts of newly optimized proposed capacity.

During the period, 2,577 megawatts of generation capacity is estimated to be retired. The expected cost of the power generation projects is $47.13 billion, while another $10.65 billion will be required for upgrades to the transmission system.

NEPRA refused to approve the proposed battery energy storage system, stating that its cost had not been realistically incorporated and tested in ISMO’s optimization model. The regulator directed that a comprehensive technical study be conducted on the project, after which it could be reconsidered.

NEPRA also did not endorse the proposed completion of the NGC-K-Electric interconnection transmission line by 2028. According to the regulator, the proposed timeline was not realistic as construction of the line would take around five years.

The plan has been prepared by ISMO, the institution responsible for operating and managing Pakistan’s electricity system. The Integrated System Plan primarily consists of two components: construction of new power plants in the country and development of new transmission lines for electricity transmission.

NEPRA directed ISMO to address several shortcomings before preparing its next plan, including providing greater clarity in the data and resolving discrepancies in electricity tariff projections.

An important aspect of the decision was that NEPRA members were not completely unanimous, with each member recording separate notes outlining their concerns.

NEPRA member Maqsood Anwar Khan objected to the removal of several hydropower projects from the plan, including Gabrial Kalam, Madian, Kalam Asrit and Asrit Kadam projects. These projects had previously been approved and considered protected.

Maqsood Anwar Khan maintained that the projects had been quietly excluded from the plan without clear or legal justification, which could discourage investors who had invested on the basis of earlier assurances.

Various stakeholders, including planners, business organizations and provincial governments, also expressed concerns, saying Pakistan already has an additional power generation capacity of 15 to 20 gigawatts, while existing power plants are operating at only around 45% of their capacity.

The stakeholders warned that further investment could increase circular debt and capacity payments, ultimately placing the burden on electricity consumers through higher power bills.

The strongest criticism from within NEPRA came from member Amina Ahmed. In her dissenting note, she said K-Electric had secured tariffs as low as 3.09 US cents per kilowatt-hour during a renewable energy auction in late 2024, the lowest tariff achieved so far in Pakistan.

According to her, ISMO had failed to include projects with a combined capacity of around 640 megawatts in its plans for more than a year, despite NEPRA raising questions over the matter several times, including through an application in March 2026.

Amina Ahmed revealed that ISMO had used incorrect data in its model. After the data was corrected in July 2026, it was found that incorporating the cheaper electricity would reduce rather than increase the system’s cost.

She said the situation had significantly affected NEPRA’s confidence in ISMO’s optimization process.

NEPRA Chairman Waseem Mukhtar supported the final decision but highlighted a major issue, saying Pakistan was paying for more power generation capacity than required, which was causing electricity bills to remain expensive.

He said electricity demand from the national grid had already declined to around 12,000 megawatts during daytime hours as more people were using solar panels and other alternative sources instead of relying on the

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WhatsApp rolls out new ‘Mentions and Replies’ chat filter

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WhatsApp has began rolling out a new “Mentions and Replies” filter that will enable users to easily identify chats where they have been mentioned or their message has been replied to.

WABetaInfo says the feature is now being implemented for select users on WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.42.12.

The new filter will be available in the Chats page, allowing users to see conversations where they have been tagged or their messages addressed. It is said to help you keep track of key communications more easily in huge group conversations and groups.

The feature could be particularly useful for people who get a lot of messages and sometimes miss critical queries, answers or comments in crowded chats.

Another important feature is that even after you have cleared the notifications, the relevant chats will still be available through the filter, enabling you get back to conversations that need your attention.

Users will also be able to tweak the feature as per their tastes with choices to disable it through settings or relocate it to the “More” section.

The “Mentions and Replies” filter is now being handed out to a small number of beta users. WhatsApp has not yet announced when it will be sent out to all users.

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Eight countries, including Pakistan, urge diplomacy to resolve regional conflicts

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Foreign ministers of eight nations including Pakistan agreed to the urgent need to resolve regional crises through conversation, diplomacy and de-escalation.

The foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia (R4) and the FMs of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, met in Istanbul on 23 October 2026, the Foreign Office stated in a statement on Saturday.

Ministers discussed issues of regional and international importance, namely US/Israel-Iran conflict, Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the need for a negotiated two-state solution, appalling Houthi militia attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of Yemen, safety and freedom of navigation, escalated tension in Straits of Hormuz and Bab El Mandeb and the Black Sea.

They pledged their ongoing commitment to contribute to diplomatic efforts to promote peace and stability in the area and beyond and address the security, economic and trade ramifications of these concerns.

They stressed the importance of finding durable negotiated solutions to all ongoing issues in conformity with the applicable UN Resolutions. The Ministers resolved to continue the engagement in this format with a view to averting disputes and promoting peace and stability in the area.

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Pakistan warns Taliban regime to stop supporting terror outfits

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Pakistan reiterated its worries about militant activity emanating from Afghan territory and called on the Afghan Taliban leadership to stop all kinds of support, facilitation and tolerance for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and their affiliated groups.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting claimed that the claims against Pakistan’s security institutions could not take away from Islamabad’s long-standing security worries. It underlined that Afghan authorities must ensure that their land is not utilised to plan, prepare or carry out terrorist operations against Pakistan.

The ministry, reacting to the latest statements by the Afghan Taliban regime, said Pakistan’s concerns were not conjectural but were based on international reporting and documented proof. It stated that Afghan authorities were responsible for preventing the use of Afghan land for terrorist actions against Pakistan and that the blame on Pakistani security agencies would not clear them of their obligation.

The ministry said it was referring to a report by the United Nations Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, investigating the presence and actions of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, known as document S/2025/796.

It also cited a report presented to the US Congress by the US Lead Inspector General covering Operation Enduring Sentinel from January to March 2026.

The Pakistani ministry’s version of the US report said the Afghan Taliban had continued to allow the TTP to operate from Afghan territory. The report attributed the spike in attacks against Pakistan to growing Taliban backing and greater operational independence for the group.

The statement cited numbers that approximated the size of the TTP at between 4,000 and 6,000 combatants.

The ministry said the foreign evaluations illustrate the seriousness of Pakistan’s worries about terrorist safe havens and support networks in Afghanistan. It said that dismissing the capacity or desire of extremist groups to destabilise Pakistan did not take care of the issues expressed via solid evidence.

The statement also mentioned continuous efforts by armed extremists to get into Pakistan from across the Afghan border. It alluded to the killings of Afghan nationals and members of terrorist groups in Pakistani counter-terrorism operations, and the capture of foreign-made weaponry from militant elements.

“Such issues need to be taken seriously. The concerns raised about Afghan Taliban officials, including in Kandahar, allegedly facilitating terrorist groups need credible explanations and verifiable action, not outright denials,” the ministry said.

Pakistan said its security measures were aimed at terrorist threats, not at the Afghan people. The ministry said peace and stability of the two nations were interlinked and a terrorism-free region would benefit the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

It encouraged the Afghan Taliban administration to take concrete measures to remove the support mechanisms accessible to the TTP, BLA and allied organisations. It added these steps must ensure that Afghan land is not utilised for planning, preparing or executing strikes against Pakistan.

The ministry stated that characterising Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns and steps for defence as enmity toward Afghanistan would neither address the root cause of the crisis, nor would it divert attention from it.

The statement stated that Pakistan would continue to take all necessary actions to preserve its citizens, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

At the same time, Islamabad was ready for a responsible engagement based on mutual respect, verifiable assurances and concrete action against terrorist safe havens, support networks and cross-border infiltration.

The ministry said that sustainable peace in the region would depend on the Afghan Taliban government taking real steps to address Pakistan’s core security concerns in a way that could be independently confirmed.

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