KARACHI: Pakistan State Oil (PSO), the country’s largest fuel supplier, is preparing to diversify its operations into renewable energy and emerging sectors of the energy market, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said during a high-level visit to the company’s Karachi headquarters on Thursday.

The move signals a strategic shift in Pakistan’s state-owned energy sector as it seeks to modernize infrastructure, reduce emissions and align with global trends toward sustainability.

Malik’s visit, part of a broader government outreach to key industry stakeholders, comes amid the government’s continuing efforts to reform Pakistan’s fossil fuel-reliant energy mix and enhance long-term resilience.

“The government is fully committed to steering Pakistan’s energy sector toward greater resilience, sustainability and innovation,” Malik said during meetings with PSO leadership and board members. “Enhancing fuel quality, reducing emissions and advancing the transition to clean energy are central to this vision.”

During the visit, PSO’s top management briefed the minister on the company’s performance, supply chain stability and automation initiatives.

Officials also outlined plans to modernize PSO’s infrastructure and develop forward-looking strategies to enter the renewable energy space, though no specific projects were announced.

Malik praised PSO’s role in maintaining reliable fuel supplies nationwide and pledged the government’s full support in helping the company address operational challenges.

He emphasized that policy alignment and cross-sector coordination would be key to creating a more efficient and consumer-focused energy ecosystem.

The minister also met with representatives of the Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC) and the Petroleum Dealers Association, where discussions focused on regulatory bottlenecks, profit margins and broader sectoral reforms.

He assured participants that their concerns would be addressed through structured engagement.

“In the best interest of the country, all stakeholders must collaborate with a shared commitment to progress,” Malik said. “Together, we can build a modern energy sector that meets the evolving needs of our nation.”

Pakistan has faced recurring energy crises in recent years, with high fuel import bills, inconsistent power supplies and delayed infrastructure upgrades straining the economy. While some private and semi-public entities have begun pivoting to renewables, PSO’s potential entry into the sector is expected to mark one of the first serious moves by a major state player.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will take up the Al-Qadir Trust case involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife on June 5, marking the first hearing since the couple was sentenced over four months ago, the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said Thursday.

A Pakistani court sentenced Khan to 14 years and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to seven years in prison last January. The centers on allegations that they received land as a bribe from real estate tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain through their charitable foundation, the Al-Qadir Trust.

The trust, founded in 2018 while Khan was still in office, is accused by authorities of being used as a front for illegal benefits.

The PTI has long maintained the case lacks merit and repeatedly requested the high court to hear their petition to suspend the convictions. This is the first time the IHC has scheduled proceedings since the lower court verdict in January, which was delayed at least three times before being delivered.

“Al-Qadir Trust case is scheduled for hearing on June 5,” the PTI said in a statement during the day.

The hearing will be conducted by a two-member IHC bench led by acting Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif, according to the court’s cause list.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court earlier this week, said the party had met with the chief justice to press for the case to be listed.

“Release [of Khan and his wife] will take place once the case is heard,” Gohar told reporters. “We still hope the case will be heard on June 5.”

The Al-Qadir case stems from £190 million that the UK repatriated to Pakistan in 2019 after the Pakistani real estate tycoon settled a British investigation into suspected criminal assets.

Authorities allege that instead of depositing the funds in Pakistan’s national treasury, Khan’s government used the money to help Hussain pay court-imposed fines in a separate case related to land acquired illegally in Karachi at below-market rates.

Khan, who has been in jail since August 2023 and is facing a slew of legal cases, says all charges against him are politically motivated.

He accuses Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the country’s powerful military of orchestrating the crackdown to sideline him, a claim both Sharif and military officials deny.