Gas load shedding schedule for Punjab announced

LAHORE: Sui Northern Gas (SNG) announced a three-month gas load shedding plan for Punjab on Saturday. According to the schedule, there will be three-day a week load shedding for industries and two-day a week load shedding for CNG stations. The schedule will be implemented from today.

The management of the SNG said that the decision was taken after the closure of the Zamzama gas field to ensure gas supply for houses.

During the load shedding period, fertilizer factories will face 45 days of gas load shedding whereas industrial and commercial customers will face gas load shedding till February next year.

According to the management, factories across Punjab have been divided into four zones.

Multan and Bahawalpur industries will experience gas load shedding from 29th to 30th October. The factories of Lahore, Shaikhupura and Faisalabad region will experience gas load shedding from 1st to 3rd of November. All CNG stations across Punjab will close for two days a week.

However, the Punjab CNG association said that the decision was taken without their advise and they would protest the decision by going on strike if it is not withdrawn.

SC admits petitions against NAB chairman’s appointment

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Saturday admitted the petitions filed against the appointment of Justice (Rtd) Deedar Hussain Shah as Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for hearing.

Petitions against the appointment were filed by Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Adovcate Shahid Orakzai.

The petitioners had challenged the appointment and requested the apex court to declare it illegal.

The Supreme Court will hear the petitions on Monday.

Twelve militants killed in Orakzai airstrikes

PARACHINAR: Airstrikes killed 12 suspected insurgents in the Orakzai tribal region on Saturday, a local government official said.

The helicopter gunships targeted two suspected militant hide-outs in the region.

The day before, a roadside bomb blast killed six paramilitary soldiers in Orakzai, where the army has waged an offensive against the Taliban.

Local government administrator Aurangzeb Khan said Saturday's airstrikes also wounded six militants.

Independent confirmation of the strikes and death toll is nearly impossible because access to the conflict zone is restricted. — AP

One killed in Narowal fireworks factory blast

LAHORE: At least one person was killed in an explosion at a fireworks factory in Punjab’s Narowal city on Saturday, police said.

The explosion occurred at around 9:30 am, DPO Narowal said.

A fire broke out in the shop after the explosion.

Rescue 1122 sources said the explosion was so powerful that it blew up the factory’s ceiling.