Why Pakistani oil and gas projects fail
Owner decision-making, flawed EPC terms and weak evaluation criteria are to blame ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has…
Why Pakistani oil and gas projects fail
Owner decision-making, flawed EPC terms and weak evaluation criteria are to blame ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has recently made a number of hydrocarbon discoveries, which need rapid and economical development. This led me to study some associated project execution practices currently in vogue and share suggestions which may help. Although a project always has two major parties…
In China, people brave simulated typhoons to prepare for the real thing
Hangzhou centre generates 165kph winds, torrential rain to mimic real disaster conditions Participants practice evacuating an underground facility during a typhoon survival training session at the Lvxing Disaster Simulation Training Centre in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, July 15, 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS Huang Zhen, 34, shut his cafe for a day last week to be buffeted…
Saudi support & economic sovereignty
Financial breathing space is valuable, but is no substitute for institutional reform ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia’s decision to increase its financial support to Pakistan by replacing the deposits withdrawn by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under the ongoing International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme deserves sincere appreciation. At a time when geopolitical uncertainty has intensified across the…
Settlers torch mosque, factory in West Bank
AT TUWANI, WEST BANK: Israeli settlers set fire overnight to a mosque in a village in the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian official said Sunday, as an AFP journalist saw the structure’s entrance scorched and Hebrew graffiti sprayed on its walls. The incident came during a period of increased attacks against Palestinian communities by settlers…
Foreign salvage firms eyed for K2 search
A photo of a K2 Airways plane. — K2 AIRWAYS WEBSITE KARACHI: Pakistani authorities are considering engaging foreign deep-sea salvage specialists to assist in the recovery of the missing K2 Airways cargo aircraft that crashed into the Arabian Sea off the coast of Ormara, as efforts continue to locate the crew, fuselage, engines and the…
Fiscal federalism in practice vs law
ISLAMABAD: Two schools of thought have emerged in the recent debate on the 18th constitutional amendment, which brought a structural shift towards devolution. One school – let’s call it centralists – has argued that the federal government is now structurally weak and in a perpetual fiscal crisis, since 57.5% of divisible resources are transferred to…
US informs Israel of plans to intensify attacks on Iran
US strikes Iran for ninth day; Iran says two oil tankers in Strait of Hormuz exploded and immobilised Smoke rises from an explosion at an unknown location, during what U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says are strikes on Iran, in this still image taken from a handout video released on July 19, 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS The…
Balochistan, Sindh reach water supply deal
QUETTA: A high-level ministerial delegation from Balochistan successfully negotiated a deal with Sindh authorities to address the province’s critical water shortages, offering a lifeline to thousands of desperate agricultural families. In a pivotal meeting held in Karachi, both sides agreed to long-term cooperation and an immediate increase in water supplies to resolve the inter-provincial dispute….
Pro-Palestine Spain beat pro-Israel Argentina to become Fifa World Cup 2026 champions
Spain passed, probed, protected, and pampered the ball as if it were national treasure Spain’s Rodri lifts the World Cup trophy alongside teammates as they celebrate winning the World Cup. PHOTO: REUTERS Spain went all the way round the footballing wheel on Sunday, from silk to sludge, from purity to persistence, and still ended up…
Bilawal renews push for greater AJK rights
MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday promised greater constitutional rights for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), renewed his call for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address the AJK’s recent unrest and urged the federal government to restore internet services immediately. Addressing a public rally in Kotli ahead of the…
