The State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Reforms and Privatization Board has recommended the termination of the current privatization process of House Building Finance Corporation Limited (HBFCL). The board meeting, chaired by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatization, Muhammad Ali, made this recommendation. The meeting also decided to restart the public offering of 51% of HBFCL’s shares.
According to the board’s statement, the privatization board rejected a bid worth PKR 4.2 billion by Pakistan Mortgage Refinance Company and set a reference price of PKR 13.55 billion. The board also recommended including Islamabad International Airport in the privatization program. The board decided to adopt the concession model for the New Islamabad Airport and rejected the G2G model, opting for an open bid instead.
The privatization board also approved negotiations for the appointment of a financial advisor from the Asian Development Bank and constituted a transaction committee for the privatization of HESCO and SEPCO. Pakistan’s Ministry of Meteorology forecast that the city will experience a dry and cold climate over the next 24 hours.
A fire broke out in a flat on the first floor of a building after an explosion, police said. The deceased individuals were affiliated with the Indian Proxy Fitna Khawarij, the Islamabad Police said. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran, Mudassir Tipu said that the embassy is available to assist Pakistani citizens 24/7. The Prime Minister’s Youth Program Chairman, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, questioned the PTI Chairman’s reluctance to face courts if the cases against them are false.
In Karachi, a police encounter led to the killing of one dacoit while another was arrested in critical condition. In Islamabad, five incidents of robbery and theft were reported within a day. The SOEs Reforms and Privatization Board also constituted a transaction committee for the privatization of Hesco and Sepco.
According to Bloomberg, Turkey’s inclusion in the Pakistan-Saudi defense alliance is being discussed at the next stage, and a tripartite agreement is likely to be reached soon. The Islamabad Police said that the deceased individuals were affiliated with the Indian Proxy Fitna Khawarij. The Prime Minister praised the role of security forces and law enforcement agencies in protecting the nation.
There has been a significant decline in visa applications for skilled workers and healthcare professionals in the UK in 2025. Scientists have discovered a hidden underwater world beneath the Arctic Ocean, which is challenging our understanding of deep-sea life and carbon transport on Earth.
