Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Wednesday informed the National Assembly that the government was compelled to depend on thermal power generation for meeting a gap of 3,000MW on top priority basis.

State Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar on Saturday said that the government is considering to abolish carbon surcharge levied on kerosene oil and diesel in the recent budget. Briefing Senators in the upper house, she said that members from both Senate and National Assembly have expressed serious concern over the issue.

Energy capacity needs to be increased by 10,000 megawatts until 2015 and is hoping foreign investors can help it halt damaging power cuts, investment minister Waqar Ahmed Khan said on Friday. Waqar Ahmed Khan said Pakistan was looking at foreign firms to help it deal with its energy shortfall, which has seen regular blackouts that have prompted riots in Karachi.

Austrian Ambassador, Dr Michael Stigelbauer on Thursday called on the Minister for Water and Power, Raja Pervez Ashraf and discussed various matters of mutual interest and possibilities of investment and technical co-operation in water and power sector.

The CNG Station Owners Association of Pakistan (CSOAP) has criticised the government's decision to impose Carbon Tax (CT) on CNG sector, saying that the move would badly hit the industry.

Federal Minister for Water and Power, Raja Pervez Ashraf said that the allocation of more than Rs 100 billion in the budget 2009-10 for ongoing and new projects was a good sign for future of the country especially for ensuring provision of electricity to all.

Senior Political Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab, Muhammad Pervez Malik has called for taking measures on war footing basis to check rapidly increasing environmental pollution, as environmental issues may hamper the country's economy.

Pakistan has become a signatory of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) along with other 87 countries of the world. The Ambassador of Pakistan to Germany Shahid Kamal signed the statute of the International Renewable Energy Agency on behalf of the Government of Pakistan at a special signing ceremony held at German Foreign Office.

Muzaffar Hussain Khan Magsi, chief of Seraiki Inqilabi Council, Rehmat-ullah Vardag, chief of Tehrik-i-Istaqlal, and Mansoor Ahmed Khan, chief of Pakistan Democratic Party, have said that the Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance, Shaukat Tarin was "a parrot of IMF", talking in its language.

'Significant volumes of LPG are being imported by the private sector under the existing, competition-conducive policy framework, which should remain unchanged for the sake of market stability.' The LPG Association of Pakistan (LPGAP) said on Thursday.