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SSGC announces massive gas loadshedding plan for Sindh

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  • SSGC consumers to get gas for only 8 hours a day. 
  • Conusmers say this is worst load-shedding in Sindh.
  • Gas supply won’t be completely shut for the rest of the day: SSGC.

The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) Monday announced that under a new load management plan, gas will be supplied to consumers in Sindh from 6-9am, 12-2pm, and 6-9pm — for a total of eight hours.

The SSGC official said that the gas supply would not be cut off completely for the rest of the day. The SSGC will ensure supply in the above-mentioned eight hours as per the government directives, he added.

Last month, the SSGC halted its gas supply to industries across Karachi from November 15 to February 28 as gas crisis worsened in the port city. The gas supply company’s move came in its bid to prioritise domestic and commercial consumers in Sindh and Balochistan meeting their demands in the process.

It should also be noted that all CNG (compressed natural gas) stations in Sindh have already been shut down for two-and-half months due to gas shortage.

The gas company’s notice was rejected by industries which said the halt in supply will lead to massive layoffs and closure of businesses as a result.

In October and November, two different fake announcements with SSGC’s name floated on the internet suggesting that the government would increase gas loadshedding hours to 18 leaving domestic and commercial gas consumers apprehensive. The company, however, rejected the news and said that a gas management plan was being devised and was postponed at the time.

State Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik also clarified that no plan was announced yet. He said that authorities concerned were directed to devise a strategy ensuring supply during mealtimes “at any cost”.

The federal government’s gas load management plan was adjusted after its application in November to supply gas to domestic consumers across Pakistan for 8 hours. The Energy Ministry told The News that commercial consumers will be provided RLNG in Punjab except for roti tandoors, which will be provided system gas (local gas).

Pakistan

Sindh schools winter vacations from Dec 22

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KARACHI: The Sindh government on Thursday announced the winter vacation schedule for public and private educational institutions across the province.

According to a notification issued by the Sindh School, Education, and Literacy Department, the educational institutions in the province will observe winter vacation from December 22 to 31.

“In pursuance of decisions taken in the steering committee meeting, all public and private educational institutions under the administrative control of School Education and Literacy Department Government of Sindh shall remain closed w.e.f 22-12,023 to 31-12,023 for Winter Vacation.”

Sindh schools winter vacations from Dec 22

After the winter break, the educational institutions will reopen on Friday (January 1, 2024).  

Meanwhile, the new academic year in the public and private schools across Sindh will commence on April 15, 2024, and August 1, 2024, in the colleges.

The matriculation and intermediate exams will be started from the last week of May 2024, while the results will be announced on July 31 and the second week of August, respectively.

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Pakistan

COAS Gen Asim Munir meets Kuwaiti crown prince

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  • PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar to meet Kuwaiti crown prince today. 
  • Both army chief and PM are in Kuwait on official visit. 
  • PM Office says multiple MoUs expected to be signed during visit. 

Army chief General Asim Munir on Tuesday met Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as part of his official visit to the gulf country, reported Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).

The meeting was also attended by Caretaker Law Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam, Pakistan Ambassador to Kuwait Malik Mohammad Farooq and other members of the delegation.

Meanwhile, PM Kakar has also arrived in Kuwait City after concluding the UAE visit and is expected to meet the crown prince today, the PM Office said on Wednesday.

The premier will also meet his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Ahmed Al-Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

The PM office said that a number of memorandum of understanding (MoUs) will be signed for mutual cooperation in various sectors including manpower, information technology, minerals and mining, food security, energy and defence.

In UAE, Pakistan signed several MoUs worth multi-billion dollars in a range of areas on Monday to boost economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries, PM Kakar said.

The prime minister said with the signing of the MoUs, the bilateral economic and strategic relations had entered into a new era of bilateral cooperation.

Congratulating the people of Pakistan and the UAE, he said the foundation of friendship with Pakistan which was laid by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in the 1970s, had been taken forward by his son Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to a new era.

PM Kakar expressed the hope that the MoUs that were signed by the two countries would turn into tangible projects very soon.

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Haj 2024: Pakistanis to get ‘free SIMs with internet’

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Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Aneeq Ahmed said Tuesday that the government would provide free-of-cost mobile SIMs with roaming internet packages to Pakistanis performing Haj in 2024.

In conversation with a private news channel, the caretaker minister said abayas would also be given to female pilgrims, having a Pakistani flag on the backside, and 13kg suitcases would be given to all.

The minister called the reduction of around Rs100,000 in the Haj cost a “historic step” taken by the caretaker government, noting that a further Rs50,000 would be slashed and the amount would be refunded to the people in their accounts.

He said a new mobile application has been designed to assist pilgrims, which will provide navigation support and enable constant communication between pilgrims and relevant officials.

Initially available in English and Urdu, the application will later incorporate various regional languages, he said, adding, that the app would also provide digital training programmes to every pilgrim.

The minister also disclosed a project that Haj ministry, with the collaboration of the education ministry, has planned to convert city mosques into schools to enroll out-of-school children where the mosques’ imams would play a leading role.

The minister said that mosques will play their role as community centers in every city areas, adding that imams will resolve community issues as well after offering prayers.

He said that haj ministry is taking all four provinces on board and enhancing the connectivity of mosques.

While describing another project, the minister said that his ministry with the collaboration of the health ministry has another project in the works, in which medical clinics will also be part of mosques.

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