LAHORE: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday inaugurated two 660-megawatt coal-fired power projects, the first of its kind in Punjab — having a capacity of 1,320MW in Qadirabad, Sahiwal. The project, which will be completed by 2016, will not only help meet the country’s electricity demand but also create employment for the people of Sahiwal district and contribute to the GDP. “We chalked out the plan for this project in just two months ago. The Punjab government and Chinese companies have undertaken the development work at such a fast pace,” he said, voicing hope the project would bring 30 percent returns to the investors. “This is the third coal-based power project that my government has inaugurated in the last few months,” the premier said.
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Finance of Pakistan has proposed 10 to 15 percent increase in salary and pensions of all civil and uniformed government employees and six special honoraria for its officials in the next federal budget. Sources said yesterday that the ministry had presented two options for the increase and at a recent meeting on budgetary proposals presided over by the prime minister. In the first option, the ministry has proposed the increase in salary and pensions, with a total financial impact of Rs30bn on the budget. In the second option, it has proposed up to 15 percent increase in salary and pensions as an ad hoc relief. A decision on the proposals will be taken at a meeting of the federal cabinet.
Islamabad: Armed gunmen kidnapped Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member of Punjab Assembly Rana Jamil Hassan and his wife late on Friday night while he was on his way to Islamabad, Geo News reported. The kidnappers blindfolded the couple and took them away to an undisclosed location. Later, they freed Rana Jamil’s wife in Rawalpindi with a message to arrange Rs50m ransom amount. Agencies
