Ethiopia, Pakistan agree to enhance defence cooperation

Islamabad: The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) and Pakistan have agreed to enhance bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation especially in the areas of defence, technology and aviation sectors, says a press release.

The crucial discussion to this end was held during a meeting between Dr. Jemal Beker, Special Envoy, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of FDR Ethiopia to Pakistan, and Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Federal Minister for Defence and Aviation. During the meeting, both sides reviewed the existing level of cooperation between the two brotherly countries and explored various avenues for further collaboration in various areas.

Ambassador Dr. Jemal Beker conveyed the felicitation of the Government of the FDR Ethiopia to the Defence Minister on Pakistan’s election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. The ambassador briefed the minister about the effective role being played by the Ethiopian Airlines in the Look Africa and Engage Africa policy of Pakistan.

He invited the Minister for the Single-Country Exhibition being hosted by the FDR Ethiopia and organised by the Government of Pakistan in Addis Ababa this year in May. On the other side, the minister assured the ambassador of his all possible support in further strengthening the bilateral relations of the two countries.

NEPRA committee recommends establishment of coal regulatory authority

Islamabad: A fact-finding committee of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has recommended the establishment of an independent coal regulatory authority to oversee coal pricing, procurement, and ensure transparency in the sector.

The four-member committee was formed last year following concerns raised by Muhammad Ali, a former energy minister and now Special Assistant to the Prime Minister. The government had received complaints from coal suppliers regarding an agreement between the management of the Sahiwal Power Plant and Awan Trading Company. The matter also reached the Islamabad High Court, where aggrieved bidders accused the power plant’s management of collusion, inflated pricing, and restrictive bidding practices. In response, the court directed NEPRA to conduct a thorough investigation into the procurement process. In its 16-page report, the committee did not directly accuse the Sahiwal Coal Power Project’s management of wrongdoing.

One of the key allegations was that the coal procurer deliberately manipulated bidding documents to bypass the requirement for a 60-day notice period stipulated in the bid documents. The Sahiwal Power Plant’s management defended its actions, stating that coal suppliers’ reliability was low and that it had to meet strict power production targets.