Pakistan has formally reopened its offshore oil and gas exploration sector after nearly 20 years, a significant step toward boosting domestic energy resources and attracting investment.

The government has signed Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) and Exploration Licences (ELs) for the 23 offshore blocks awarded under the Offshore Bid Round 2025. Federal Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik was present at the signing event.

The officials said the bid round encompassed over 54,600 square kilometres in the Indus and Makran offshore basins along the coastal waters of Sindh and Balochistan.

The Ministry of Petroleum said two blocks were awarded earlier in December 2025, while the remaining 21 agreements have now been concluded, completing the full offshore licensing structure.

Officials said the achievement was an important milestone to spur offshore exploration, increase international and local investment and reduce dependence on imported energy.

The government said the potential of Pakistan’s offshore area is around 282,623 square kilometers and only a few exploration wells had been completed since independence.

Companies will first conduct geological and geophysical research, including seismic data collecting and interpretation in Phase-I under the new framework. If the results are positive, exploratory drilling will follow in Phase-II.

Mari Energies was the biggest stakeholder among participating corporations, however significant national energy companies also won several blocks.

The government forecasts the initial investment at about $82 million, rising to almost $1 billion if drilling moves to the advanced exploration stages.

A special session was organized by Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) with vice chancellors and senior faculty members of several institutions under the National Security and Strategic Leadership Workshop 2026.

Vice chancellors, deans, registrars and senior instructors from around 200 universities of Pakistan attended the event. The event was attended online by participants from Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Muzaffarabad, Multan and Quetta.

During the session, DG ISPR discussed the major topics connected to the country’s internal situation, emphasizing on security matters and strategic challenges.

The participants said the Pakistan Armed Forces had played a remarkable role in defence, stability and security of the country. The also said Pakistan gained a major success in the Battle of Truth thanks to efforts by the armed forces and expressed complete trust in the strength of the country’s military institutions.

They further said that the people of Azad Kashmir and the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) respect the Pakistan Army. Participants reported that they received clear guidance on how to safeguard pupils from harmful propaganda and how to ensure the transmission of truthful information.

Academics said that they were given the heightened knowledge of the national security, information warfare and the difficulties facing the country. They said that the interaction between the armed services and academics is a relevant and important initiative.

Lahore Sessions Court has confirmed the interim bail of prominent YouTuber Rajab Butt in illegal advertising of an online gambling app case, while it has given an order to prolong the interim bail of Nadeem Naniwala.

The court granted interim bail of Rajab Butt after hearing arguments in the hearings, details said. The case is on charges of improper marketing and advertising of a gambling app.

The court also took up for consideration the interim bail applications of the co-accused Nadeem Nani Wala and others during the hearing. Rajab Butt was given confirmation of his bail, while the court extended the interim bail of Nadeem Nani Wala till June 2.

The court asked the lawyers of Nadeem Nani Wala to finish their arguments in the next hearing.

More legal proceedings are expected in the coming weeks.

Cases of social media influencers

Official records show the two are named in many FIRs registered under various cybercrime statutes, including claims of operating or promoting gambling programs, exploitation of digital platforms and online harassment. The FIA had sent many letters before but their presence abroad meant no major progress could be made in the investigations.

Butt was booked by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in September this year for allegedly marketing online gambling apps on social media.

The NCCIA had also booked Nadeem for allegedly advertising gambling applications on his social media, but he was also arrested in September for displaying a bogus registration number – ‘IK-804’ – on his automobile.

He could not satisfy the authorities on being questioned about displaying the bogus registration number IK-804, purported to be the prisoner number assigned to jailed PTI founder Imran Khan.

Also in March, Butt was booked under blasphemy and cybercrime laws for a “religious stir” after the introduction of his perfume brand that reportedly insulted Pakistan’s blasphemy law. Butt debuted his “295” perfume, named after the blasphemy statute in the Pakistan Penal Code.

Back in December, the YouTuber found himself in hot water after he was detained for illegally possessing a lion cub and guns at his home. He pled guilty in January of this year to possessing an unauthorized wild animal after being given the cub as a wedding present.

He escaped incarceration by telling a judge he would post videos on animal rights for a year.