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The government is finalising a plan to curb summer electricity consumption through scheduled outages, compulsory conservation measures, and higher tariffs as cooling demand rises in the coming weeks. The move reflects a deepening fuel shortage caused by a complete disruption of LNG supplies, constrained Thar coal output, and costly alternatives like furnace oil and imported coal. With peak demand expected at 27–28 GW, officials say daily power cuts and steeper bills are unavoidable

Pakistan’s ongoing energy stress, triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran, stems primarily from two shocks: the total disruption of Qatari LNG imports — already reflected in reduced utilisation of gas-fired plants — and the escalating cost of other imported fossil fuels such as oil and coal, the full impact of which has yet to be felt by consumers and the economy.

Dr Khalid Waleed of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) estimates that a full summer blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could cut 8,800 GWh of RLNG-based generation. “With replacement fuel premiums costing an additional Rs100-110 billion and idle capacity charges of RLNG plants amounting to Rs35bn, tariffs will go up by Rs6–8/kWh through emergency FCA adjustments. Average residential bills may exceed Rs55–60/kWh,” he warned. He added that the foreign exchange impact would ripple across sectors, as emergency procurement of Residual Fuel Oil (RFO) and coal at war-driven premiums, along with fertiliser imports of 1.5–2 million tonnes to replace lost RLNG-based urea production, likely costing $2.5-3.5bn in a single quarter.

Peak electricity demand expected to hit 27-28GW

The key questions confronting Pakistani policymakers, therefore, are how to fill the power generation gap caused by the LNG supply disruption and how to keep electricity prices stable despite rising global fuel costs. The government’s response revolves around three measures: increasing the use of domestic gas and indigenous coal in the power generation, expanding reliance on imported coal, and, in emergencies, increase the use of oil.

“While the first step being considered by the government makes sense in the short run, the second and third steps are not viable even briefly given the rising costs of coal and oil in the international market and Pakistan’s fragile financial position to finance their import,” argued Manzoor Ahmed, a researcher at the Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development (PRIED).

“It is also clear that Pakistan cannot go back to LNG-based power generation even in the medium term because its main supplier, Qatar, will require a couple of years to resume its supplies disrupted by the war.”

Mr Ahmed noted that domestic gas could offer short-term relief but cannot fully bridge the power gap over time. Currently, it meets less than 70pc of demand, and even optimistic new discoveries are unlikely to close the deficit in the coming years.

He added that much of this gas is tied to fertiliser production, vital for agriculture. Diverting it to power generation would disrupt fertiliser supply, raise prices, and harm farm output, undermining a sector that has sustained growth as Pakistan’s manufacturing base has struggled in recent years.

Energy experts say that domestic coal also faces supply constraints due to weak investor interest, delays in construction of a railway line to transport coal and other factors from Thar to other parts of the country. The sponsors of coal mines are also finding it difficult to finalise coal purchase agreements with prospective buyers.

‘Global coal markets highly volatile’

The option of increasing coal imports from Indonesia and South Africa, relatively insulated from the Middle East conflict, to boost power generation remains less feasible. While prices remain below the 2022-23 peaks, Mr Ahmed warned that global coal markets are highly volatile. He noted prices have already risen about 30pc in the first month of the Iran conflict. With major consumers like India, Korea and Indonesia delaying coal plant retirements, demand and prices are expected to rise further.

This leaves one viable medium- to long-term solution: accelerating the ongoing shift towards solar energy and supporting it with battery storage systems.

Over the past eight years, Pakistan has seen a dramatic surge in solar adoption. A joint PRIED-TransitionZero report estimates that 51,000MW of solar capacity was imported between 2017 and 2025 at a cost of $7bn, with about 33,000MW already installed. Another study by Renewables First and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air finds this boom has reshaped the energy mix, helping shield consumers from immediate LNG supply shocks and price spikes amid the war in Gulf.

Experts highlight that China has played a central Pakistan’s solar transformation, reshaping the economics of its energy transition. Its vast manufacturing scale, integrated supply chains and state-backed policies have sharply reduced global photovoltaic prices, making solar one of the cheapest power sources worldwide. This decline, reinforced by an influx of low-cost Chinese panels, enabled Pakistan – with zero-rated import taxes – to rapidly scale adoption.

The economic benefits have been compelling for households, farmers and businesses facing high tariffs and unreliable grid supply, as solar offers predictable long-term savings. Easy access to Chinese technology has removed supply bottlenecks, driving a consumer-led shift to distributed solar at an unprecedented speed. Beyond affordability, this expansion has strengthened energy security by reducing reliance on imported fuels such as LNG, partially insulating the country from external supply shocks, experts said.

However, this rapid growth has also revealed a critical structural imbalance. Solar generation, by its nature, primarily meets daytime demand. The real challenge emerges during summer nights, when air-conditioning demand peaks but solar output drops to zero due to near-zero battery adoption. As a result, even solar-equipped households remain dependent on the grid after sunset.

Dr Waleed noted that 10-18GW of distributed rooftop solar installed in recent years displaces 3,500–4,000 GWh of grid demand during daylight hours in a summer quarter, absorbing up to one-third of the shortfall. “However, output drops to zero after sunset, shifting the entire evening peak back to thermal generation. In a Hormuz blockade scenario, this would lead to severe night-time load-shedding. With no battery storage capacity, excess daytime solar cannot be utilised during peak evening hours, he explained.

Mr Ahmed emphasised that Pakistan’s subsidy-free solar boom shows strong consumer willingness to invest, provided the government avoids deterrents like taxes on panels or restrictive net-metering policies. He criticised the lack of support for low-income groups, noting that over 25pc of Pakistanis still lack electricity despite the potential of decentralised solar systems.

He argued that expanding solar access would not require major grid investments and could unlock economic opportunities. The government should remove taxes on solar equipment, offer subsidised schemes for low-income households, and support mini- and micro-grids for localised energy distribution.

Mr Ahmed also warned that rising global demand for Chinese solar panels could increase prices, making timely policy support essential. Sustaining solar growth is vital, he added, as it has already saved $5bn–$12bn in fuel imports since 2018 and can further protect foreign exchange reserves.

“Second phase”

More importantly, he stressed that the government should remove all taxes on the import of battery energy storage systems (BESS) and related equipment, he argued. This would trigger a “second phase” of Pakistan’s solar transition by improving energy independence and security. He noted that global demand for batteries is rising as countries turn to China for supply, pushing prices higher, making timely policy support essential.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2026

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• Hegseth claims next few days to be ‘decisive’, says conflict to intensify if deal not made
• Pezeshkian says Iran wants to end war but not without guarantees; Araghchi confirms messages exchanged with US, denies talks
• Iranian missiles injure nine in Tel Aviv; US companies in region warned
• Israel claims hitting 20 weapon manufacturing sites; Iran says pharma facilities, desalination plant struck

WASHINGTON: As US Presi­dent Donald Trump singled out his allies who did not help him in the US-Israeli war against Iran, Iranian President Masoud Pezes­hkian said Tehran had the “necessary will” to end the ongoing war, but not without guarantees that the conflict would not be repeated.

In a statement posted on Truth Social, President Trump railed against the European countries, particularly the UK and France, for being unhelpful in the month-long war that has roiled global markets and led to the disruption of fuel supply via the Strait of Hormuz.

“All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!” He also criticised France for not letting planes carrying military supplies to Israel fly over French territory.

‘Next few days will be decisive’

Amid reports of negotiations, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the next few days in the war against Iran would be decisive and warned Tehran that the conflict would intensify if it did not make a deal, Reuters reported.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards hit back with a new threat, saying that they will target US companies in the region in retaliation for attacks on Iran from Wednesday, listing 18 groups including Microsoft, Google, Apple, Intel, IBM, Tesla and Boeing.

Iran earlier set ablaze a fully loaded oil tanker off Dubai, its latest attack on merchant vessels in the Gulf or in the Strait of Hormuz since the United States and Israel attacked on Feb 28.

Mr Hegseth, who said he visited US troops in the Middle East on Saturday, said Donald Trump was willing to make a deal, and talks were ongoing and gaining strength, but that the US was prepared to continue the war if Iran did not comply.

“We have more and more options, and they have less … in only one month we set the terms, the upcoming days will be decisive,” Hegseth said in Washington. “Iran knows that, and there’s almost nothing they can militarily do about it.”

Iran, however, appeared receptive to the idea of ending the war. According to AFP, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country had the “necessary will” to end the ongoing war with Israel and the United States, but was seeking guarantees that the conflict would not be repeated. “We possess the necessary will to end this conflict, provided that essential conditions are met — especially the guarantees required to prevent repetition of the aggression,” Mr Pezeshkian said in a phone conversation with the president of the European Council, according to a statement from his office.

Iran’s foreign minister also confirmed that messages were exchanged between the two foes. Abbas Araghchi told Qatar’s Al Jazeera that messages had been exchanged with the US either directly or through friends in the region. That did not mean Iran was in negotiations with Washington, he said. “I receive messages from Wittkov directly, as before, and this does not mean that we are in negotiations,” AJ quoted him as saying.

“There is no truth to the claim of negotiations with any party in Iran. All messages are conveyed through the foreign ministry or received by it, and there are communications between security agencies.”

The Israeli military said on Tuesday it completed a wave of strikes targeting 20 weapons manufacturing sites and a research and development site in Iran.

Iranian media said that airstrikes had put a desalination plant on Iran’s Qeshm island in the strategic Strait of Hormuz out of service, though the report did not specify when the attack took place, AFP reported.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also accused Israel of “unashamedly bombing” pharmaceutical companies in the country. “Their intentions are clear,” he said in a post on X. “What they’ve gotten wrong is that they’re not dealing with defenceless Palestinian civilians. Our powerful armed forces will severely punish aggressors.”

Areas near the World Health Organization’s Tehran office have been hit by strikes over the past two nights, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a social media post.

Meanwhile, Iran also continued to attack targets across Israel and the Gulf. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy claimed it struck a “covert location” in the UAE, reportedly housing 200 US personnel and officers, according to the Tasnim news agency.

Multiple explosions also rattled the Saudi capital Riyadh, according to an AFP journalist, the latest apparent barrage targeting the city as Iran carries out attacks across the Gulf region. Nine people were also wounded in an Iranian attack on Tel Aviv, Al Jazeera reported.

General killed

Separately, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard confirmed the killing of a brigadier general, who was sanctioned by the US in 2025 over an international network shipping oil to China and using profits to fund Tehran-backed regional proxies, in a US-Israeli airstrike, AFP reported.

Revolutionary Guard commander-in-chief Ahmad Vahidi issued a message of condolences for Jamshid Eshaghi, the head of the budget and financial affairs at Iran’s armed forces general staff. Vahidi, whose predecessor was killed at the start of the conflict, said Eshaghi had been killed along with several members of his family in a US-Israeli strike, without giving a date or further details.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2026

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ISLAMABAD: Government officials said during a public hearing on Tuesday that liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies were under force majeure and not available for power generation.

Force majeure is a clause included in contracts that allows a party to be excused from its obligations due to circumstances that are beyond its control. The officials’ revelation during the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) hearing thus means that LNG supplies were unavailable due to circumstances that were beyond the relevant parties’ control.

Responding to questions, Central Power Purchasing Agency (CCPA) Chief Executive Officer Rehan Akhtar said LNG supplies were currently under force majeure, but he assured that coal supplies — another source for power generation — through imports were not facing any problems as they mostly came from South Africa and Indonesia, and were unaffected by disruptions in the Middle East. LNG-based power plants have a generation capacity of more than 4,500 megawatts.

An almost a month-long ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran has spilled over to draw in Gulf countries and subsequently resulted in a global fuel crunch. The situation is worsened by traffic disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz — a corridor that had been the route for 20 per cent of global LNG and a quarter of seaborne oil until the war began.

The war has also led to production stoppages, notably by Qatar, which stopped all operations at its LNG facilities on March 2 and declared force majeure two days later, halting supply from a source that accounts for about 20pc of global LNG.

Officials at the Nepra hearing said consumers would be encouraged through a pricing package to better utilise cheaper electricity available during the daytime.

“The cheaper electricity available during daytime will be utilised in a better way, and measures would be taken after taking people into confidence over whatever the situation is,” said Naveed Qaiser, the chief financial officer of the Power Planning and Monitoring Company (PPMC), as he testified at the hearing.

He assured that fuel cost adjustments would not go up by Rs8-10 per unit, saying that the government was working on a daily basis and at almost every level to ensure that consumers did not face any problems.

“Things are under control at the moment, and no big shock is forseen”, he said, adding the government was also working on a tariff package to encourage better utilisation of electricity during the daytime when solar power generation was also possible.

For his part, Akhtar said LNG-based power plants, though among the most efficient, could not be run on domestic gas through diversion from older plants on dedicated gas fields.

Responding to a question, the CPPA chief said there were some problems regarding coal transportation for Sahiwal and Jamshoro power plants. He said the Power Division, CPPA and other relevant government agencies were working on a daily basis to ensure that coal inventories did not deteriorate and to run power plants at maximum capacity.

He also assured worried industrial consumers that electricity rates for April would remain unchanged as a Rs1.64 per unit positive fuel cost adjustment (FCA) for February consumption would replace an existing Rs1.63 per unit positive FCA for January consumption that was charged in March bills.

Akhtar also said that power supply from the national grid to K-Electric (KE) was beneficial for both Karachi and other consumers.

“If KE had not been provided any electricity from the national grid, an overall increase of Rs1.05/kWh in the FCA and an increase of Rs3.03/kWh in the capacity purchase price would have resulted for the consumers. Total cost would then have been Rs4.08/kWh for February”, he said. Not only this, the quarterly tariff adjustment against February consumption was expected to be Rs2.79 per unit lower, thus providing a net relief going forward.

He also said circular debt would not exceed Rs1.69tr at the close of the current fiscal year, notwithstanding seasonal fluctuations and subsidy payments from the budget.

PPPMC CFO Naveed Qaiser said that circular debt in January stood at Rs1.7tr compared to Rs2.4tr in January last year, which was a reduction of about Rs780bn.

For their part, industrial representatives asked Nepra to recommend to the government the formulation of a fixed and all inclusive industrial tariff regime for export and import substitution insutries to avoid uncertainties, and such a tariff including FCA, quarterly tariff adjustment, debt servicing surcharge and other charges be fixed within eight to nine cents per unit, with a hard ceiling of nine cents for at least five years to ensure international competitiveness.

Officials reported that the government had successfully absorbed significant cost pressures to ensure that the benefits of tariff adjustments were passed on to the public. Despite global fuel price volatility, cumulative relief amounting to Rs46.56bn had been provided to consumers during the first eight months of FY2025–26 (July–February), resulting in an overall reduction of Rs0.71/kWh at the consumer-end tariff, they said.

Industrial consumers, meanwhile, witnessed a substantial decline, with pre-tax tariffs falling from Rs49.19/unit (18 cents) in March 2024 to Rs34.75/unit (12 cents) in March 2026 — a reduction of Rs14.44/unit, it was reported.

The hearing was told that the incremental tariff package had resulted in 25 per cent growth in electricity consumption in the industrial sector and 7pc growth in the agriculture sector. More than 43pc of industrial consumers and 35pc of agriculture consumers benefited from the package, with 203,367 consumers availing the incentive package for higher consumption at lower rates.

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Israel’s ​parliament passed ‌a law on ​Monday ​making the death ⁠penalty ​a default ​sentence for Palestinians convicted ​in ​military court of ‌deadly ⁠attacks, seeing through a ​main ​pledge ⁠by Prime ​Minister ​Benjamin ⁠Netanyahu’s far-right ⁠allies.

The legislation has been sharply criticised as discriminatory by European nations and rights groups.

The Times of Israel reported that the Knesset voted 62-48 to pass the law.

The bill was spearheaded by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and his Otzma Yehudit, or Jewish Power, party.

The legislation results in the death penalty becoming the default punishment for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank found guilty of intentionally carrying out deadly attacks deemed “acts of terrorism” by an Israeli military court.

The legislation says that the sentence may be reduced to life imprisonment under “special circumstances”.

According to The Times of Israel, the sentence handed under the law cannot be appealed.

Palestinians in the West Bank are automatically tried in Israeli military courts.

Meanwhile, under the law, in Israeli criminal courts, anyone “who intentionally causes the death of a person with the aim of harming an Israeli citizen or resident out of an intention to put an end to the existence of the state of Israel shall be sentenced to death or life imprisonment”.

Criminal courts try Israeli nationals, including Palestinian citizens of Israel.

The law sets the execution method as hanging, adding that it should be carried out within 90 days of the sentencing, with a possible postponement of up to 180 days.

Opposition lawmaker and former deputy Mossad director, Ram Ben Barak, expressed outrage at the legislation before it was passed.

“Do you understand what it means that there is one law for Arabs in Judea and Samaria, and a different law for the general public for which the state of Israel is responsible?” he asked fellow parliamentarians, using the Israeli name for the West Bank.

“I’ll tell you what it says. It says that Hamas has defeated us. It has defeated us because we have lost all our values,” he said. “It has defeated us because we are beginning to conduct ourselves like them, unfortunately. Full of hatred. And vengeance.”

‘Discriminatory application’

In February, Amnesty International urged Israeli lawmakers to reject the legislation, which it said “would allow Israeli courts to expand their use of death sentences with discriminatory application against Palestinians”.

On Sunday, Britain, France, Germany and Italy expressed “deep concern” over the legislation, which they said risked “undermining Israel’s commitments with regards to democratic principles”.

While the death penalty exists for a small number of crimes in Israel, it has become a de facto abolitionist country — the Nazi Holocaust perpetrator Adolf Eichmann was the last person to be executed in 1962.

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On the 31st day of the US-Israeli war on Iran, the economic dimension of the war continued to become more pronounced as the conflict remained locked in a high-intensity, multi-domain phase, with exchanges continuing across Iran, Israel, and the wider region.

Inside Iran, US and Israeli strikes continued to target the civilian infrastructure besides military and strategic targets, including hits on research facilities and air defence systems.

The goal seems to be to degrade both Iran’s operational military capability and technological depth.

Moreover, there have been attacks on energy sites, leading to power outages in major urban centres such as Tehran and Karaj.

Despite these pressures, Iran’s retaliatory capacity remained intact, with continued missile and drone launches targeting Israeli industrial zones and infrastructure, as well as assets in Gulf countries.

In Israel, the impact of these strikes has become more visible with a second confirmed hit on the Haifa Bazan oil refinery — one of the country’s most critical energy facilities — in addition to the damage reported in industrial zones in the south. The cumulative effect of repeated strikes on such targets is beginning to strain infrastructure.

The Israel Defence Forces warned civilians near the Neot Hovav industrial zone to remain indoors due to fears of a hazardous materials leak after an impact on one of the plants in the zone.

The northern front

The northern front has also remained active, with continued fighting in southern Lebanon where Hezbollah has maintained pressure through ground engagements and anti-armour operations across multiple sectors. Reports of Israeli casualties and equipment losses underline the attritional nature of this theatre, while Israeli forces have stepped up operations to expand a buffer zone along the border, including through clearance operations in border villages.

Hezbollah’s activity suggests that the front will remain a key pressure point and will continue to limit Israel’s ability to concentrate resources elsewhere.

The Gulf and maritime domain

Across the Gulf and maritime domain, tensions have remained centred on the Strait of Hormuz and related energy routes. Iran has signalled its intent to regulate passage through the strait amid reports of strikes targeting a key pipeline in the United Arab Emirates.

These developments reinforced uncertainty in global energy markets, as a result of which oil prices have remained elevated. International financial institutions have, meanwhile, warned of broader economic fallout if disruptions were to persist.

Limited traction of peace efforts as kinetic activity continues

US military posture in the region has continued to evolve, with additional special operations forces, airborne units, and Marine elements being deployed. These developments indicate that preparation is under way for a range of contingencies that could include limited ground operations or actions aimed at seizing strategic points such as key islands or critical infrastructure.

While Washington has reiterated its preference for a diplomatic resolution, official statements have continued to emphasise military objectives focused on degrading Iran’s air, naval and missile capabilities.

Diplomatic efforts, including those involving Pakistan, reportedly with backing from China, have yet to produce a breakthrough.

Tehran has maintained its position that it is not engaged in negotiations under current conditions, whereas US messaging has continued to combine offers of dialogue with threats of expanded strikes, particularly if maritime routes are not reopened.

This situation highlights the limited traction of ongoing attempts for peace because of continued kinetic activity.

On the economic front

Economically, the conflict is entering a more consequential phase as oil prices have surged beyond earlier thresholds.

It’s worth noting that despite sustained attacks, Iran’s export levels look to have held up, which is being interpreted by some as a signal that Iran has been retaining leverage in the energy domain. At the same time, repeated strikes on Israeli and regional industrial infrastructure are adding to the cumulative costs.

With no off-ramps in sight, the global markets are beginning to factor in the risk of prolonged disruption.

The reading of the situation at the end of day 31 suggests that the coming days are likely to be shaped by the interaction between continuation of military actions across multiple fronts, scarce de-escalation pathways and growing economic pressures. In particular, attention will be focused on developments around the Strait of Hormuz and the potential for further widening of the conflict if current trends persist.

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Header image: A first responder inspects the wreckage of a vehicle at the site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese village of Hanouiyeh, east of Tyre, on March 30, 2026. — AFP

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ISLAMABAD: The world wastes food on a staggering scale, as every year over one billion tonnes of edible food — nearly one-fifth of all food available to consumers — is thrown away, impacting both people and the environment, undermining food security and climate resilience, and compromising progress towards a zero-waste, circular future.

The ‘International Day of Zero Waste’ is being observed on Monday (today), focusing on “Food – what we eat, what we waste, and how we can move towards a more circular future”. While hundreds of millions of people face hunger, 13 per cent of food is lost before it reaches retailers, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said.

In 2022, the world wasted an estimated 1.05 billion tonnes of food across the retail, food service, and household sectors combined. This amounts to 132 kg per capita per year, of which 79 kg per capita was wasted in households.

In a campaign brief, the UNEP said, “Zero waste starts on your plate”, estimating that $1 trillion was the annual cost of food loss and waste to the global economy. Up to 14pc of methane emissions come from food waste alone, largely from rotting organic waste.

Highlights over one billion tonnes of edible items thrown away every year

Speaking at the event, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said the consequences were far-reaching. Food loss and waste generate 8-10pc of global greenhouse gas emissions and are a major source of methane, which is over 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in the short term. Reducing these emissions would slow the rate of global warming by mid-century.

According to the United Nations, around 60pc of food waste occurs at the household level, with the remainder coming mostly from food service and retail due to inefficient food systems, including production, distribution, and consumption. Tackling this issue requires redesigning these systems and transitioning towards a more sustainable, circular approach grounded in efficiency and resilience.

For this transition to succeed, the UN says governments can advance food waste prevention through climate and biodiversity plans and national policies on circularity, waste, food systems, agriculture, and urban development, while promoting effective measures and monitoring.

Businesses can set measurable food waste reduction targets, integrate them into sustainability commitments, and innovate to improve efficiency across supply chains.

‘Waste need not rot’

Speaking at the campaign brief, the UNEP executive director called for consumer behaviour change campaigns and food literacy programmes in schools, alongside retail and hospitality engagement through discounting products approaching expiry dates, improved stock management, and zero-waste dining offers.

She also highlighted the need for date-label reform to reduce confusion between “best before” and “use by” labels, as well as digital tools to help businesses forecast demand and optimise inventory.

“Organic waste represents between 30pc and 50pc of municipal waste, and in some countries up to 60pc,” Ms Andersen said.

However, she added that this waste need not rot, pointing out that it was a vital source of carbon and nutrients that fuelled microbial activity and restored soil health.

“Once treated and composted, this organic waste can be fed back into the food system, boosting degraded soils and reducing farmers’ dependency on fertilisers, the price and availability of which are affected by global shocks, as seen with disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-third of seaborne fertiliser trade passes, threatening access for some of the most vulnerable countries,” she elaborated.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2026

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Lahore Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Operations) Muhammad Faisal brought to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) chief executive officer’s notice on Sunday the alleged breach of security protocols involving Lahore Qalandar players Sikandar Raza and Shaheen Shah Afridi and urged necessary action to prevent the recurrence of such violations.

The Zimbabwe all-rounder is among several overseas players who arrived in Lahore to join their franchises for the 11th edition of the PSL.

In his letter, the Lahore DIG said, “As per the contents of the report of the superintendent of police (operations), Civil Lines Division, Lahore, a serious breach of established security protocols occurred on March 28, 2026 at the PC hotel where all PSL participant teams are currently residing under strict security arrangements.”

The letter said that at approximately 10:35pm, the Lahore Qalandars liaison officer approached Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Security and Anti-Corruption Manager Lt Col (retd) Akhtar Hussain, seeking his permission to allow four relatives of Sikandar Raza to visit his room.

“The request was declined in accordance with the security protocols in place,” the letter said.

Subsequently, Sameen Rana, the owner of Lahore Qalandars, also approached the PSL CEO with the same request, but his request was also declined on security grounds, the letter said.

“Despite these clear instructions, at approximately 11:05pm, it was reported by PCB security staff that Lahore Qalandar’s captain Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sikandar Raza disregarded the directives and forcefully escorted” the four visitors to Sikandar’s room “despite resistance from on-duty security personnel”, the letter alleged.

“The visitors remained in the room until approximately 1:25am,” it claimed.

The letter said that this incident represented a “clear violation” of the PCB’s security protocols and code of conduct, which were designed to ensure the safety and integrity of all players, officials, and associated personnel.

“In view of the seriousness of this matter, it is requested that the incident be reviewed at the appropriate forum and necessary action be taken to prevent recurrence of such violations,” the letter said.

It emphasised that ensuring strict compliance with security protocols was essential to avoid any untoward or potentially harmful situations.

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