Pakistan and China are set to sign memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enter into joint venture for oil and gas exploration. The MoU will be signed by Advisor to Prime Minister on Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain, who left here for China on Friday.

PPP MPA Jam Tamachi accused WAPDA of conspiring for the construction of the Kalabagh Dam. Speaking on a point of order in the Sindh Assembly, Tamachi referred to the extreme load shedding, which lasts for up to 20 hours in the rural areas of Sindh, and said that not only WAPDA but KESC was also causing much discomfort in Sindh and no one knows how and when these problems will be redressed.

Pakistan has the largest privatisation programme and fairly long experience in the South Asia, which can be mutually beneficial for the entrepreneurs of entire region including Azerbaijan. The Federal Minister for Privatisation, Naveed Qamar stated during a meeting with Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Pakistan, Dr Eynulla Madatli who called on the Minister on Thursday.

Around fifty percent of glass industry has suspended its activities while the remaining units on the verge of closure due to gas and power loadshedding, the industry

Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) is holding a seminar here on National Bio-Diesel Programme on May 18 for strategizing commercial scale production of bio-diesel in the country. The recommendations of the seminar will assist in consolidating the policy and regulatory framework for bio-diesel currently being formulated by AEDB.

The State bank of Pakistan on Tuesday directed all banks and DFIs to follow the daylight saving policy by advancing the clocks by one hour. It said that in pursuance of the decision of the Federal Government, watches/clocks will be advanced by one hour from April 15, 2009.

Advancing clocks by an hour from April 15 (Tuesday night) all over the country would help utilise maximum daylight and conserve energy. The daylight saving would be adopted by advancing the clocks by an hour with effect from April 15, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Interior.

Japan has agreed to provide assistance for three projects, including Karachi Circular Railway project (KCR), sixth secondary transmission and grids project of Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) and New Khanki Barrage. Japan may make formal announcement in the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP) meeting scheduled in Tokyo on April 17.

The Cabinet has vetoed a long-debated proposal of the Ministry of Water and Power regarding import of 1000 MW electricity from Central Asia -South Asia (CASA) until the projects tariff, economic feasibility and other issues are resolved, sources close to the Ministrys Additional Secretary, Zarar Aslam, told Business Recorder.

Federal Minister for Water and Power, Raja Pervez Ashraf has said that the government would facilitate and provide investor friendly environment to the Chinese companies in Pakistan. He said that the Chinese interest to invest in the hydel and wind power generation projects would help meet countrys future power requirements at affordable prices.