LONDON: Pakistan squash great Jahangir Khan has urged Pakistan to show grit at the World Cup, saying they have the talent to reach the semifinals despite a string of bad results.
Jahangir, one of the finest squash players of all time, was in the stands at Lord’s on Sunday to watch his side take on South Africa.
“Pakistan still have a chance of qualifying for the semifinals but for that I want them to be fighting throughout the match,” he said.
The 1992 champions, who came into the South Africa match with just one victory in five games, must realistically win all their remaining four ties and hope other results go their way.
Jahangir, who won 10 British Open titles and six world titles, was known for his never-say-die approach and stamina, traits that he wants to see in the Pakistan team, who scored 308-7 in their 50 overs on Sunday.
“What I have seen in the previous games was that the team lacked aggression, especially against India,” said Jahangir, referring to last week’s defeat against Pakistan’s arch-rivals.
Pakistan went down by 89 runs in the rain-affected game, which sparked a furious reaction back home, but Jahangir said Pakistan could recover.
“This team has talent so I am confident that it will bounce back as the whole nation wants them in the semifinal and then in the final,” he said.
Pakistan’s powerful military chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa was in the stands at Lord’s, along with military colleagues.
Sulaiman Khan, the son of World Cup-winning Pakistan captain and current Prime Minister Imran Khan, was also at Lord’s.
Squash great Jahangir Khan urges Pakistan to show World Cup fight
Squash great Jahangir Khan urges Pakistan to show World Cup fight
- Khan was in the stands at Lord’s on Sunday to watch his side take on South Africa
- 'What I have seen in the previous games was that the team lacked aggression, especially against India’
Pakistan says EU notes progress on rights commitments during GSP+ compliance discussions
- The review formed part of a wide-ranging EU-Pakistan Joint Commission meeting held in Brussels
- The two sides also covered irregular migration, climate cooperation and safe Afghan refugee return
ISLAMABAD: The European Union reviewed Pakistan’s compliance with its preferential GSP+ trade scheme this week and welcomed progress on key human rights commitments, according to a statement on Saturday, as Islamabad seeks to protect access to European markets vital for its export-led growth strategy.
The EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) grants duty-free access to most European markets for eligible developing countries in return for their commitment to implement 27 international conventions covering human rights, labor standards, environmental protection and good governance. Pakistan, which has benefited from the scheme since 2014, is one of the biggest beneficiaries, with the EU its second-largest trading partner and a destination for roughly a third of its exports.
Pakistan’s GSP+ status has come under scrutiny in the past after, in April 2021, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for an immediate review, citing concerns over violence against religious minorities, curbs on media freedom and broader human rights issues. The move followed widespread anti-France protests in Pakistan over the publication of anti-Islamic caricatures, which EU legislators said raised questions about Islamabad’s commitment to fundamental freedoms.
“Both sides reviewed Pakistan’s progress on the implementation of the 27 international conventions as required under the GSP+ framework,” the foreign office said in a statement circulated in Islamabad. “The EU welcomed progress made in bringing Pakistan’s application of the death penalty in line with international standards and encouraged further steps in this regard.”
“It also recognised important first steps against torture, as well as the creation of a Commission on Minorities,” it added.
IRREGULAR MIGRATION, CLIMATE COOPERATION
The discussions took place during the 15th meeting of the EU–Pakistan Joint Commission, held in Brussels on Dec. 17, where officials also addressed irregular migration, including cooperation on the return and readmission of migrants without legal status, and legal mobility pathways under the bloc’s broader migration framework.
The foreign office statement came just a day after Greek authorities said they rescued more than 500 migrants from a fishing boat in the Mediterranean, adding that the group included several Pakistani nationals, highlighting continued migration pressures despite tighter controls.
Climate cooperation was another focus, with both sides reviewing ongoing collaboration on climate resilience, disaster risk reduction and sustainable development, areas of growing importance for Pakistan after repeated climate-related shocks.
The meeting also touched on the situation of Afghan refugees.
The statement said the EU welcomed the ongoing discussions between Pakistan and the UN refugee agency “to identify and compile a list of vulnerable cases, to ensure their adequate protection.”
“The EU appreciated that Pakistan is hosting millions of Afghan nationals for over four decades,” it continued. “They emphasised that any return must be safe, dignified and in line with international standards.”
The two sides agreed to continue engagement under the EU–Pakistan Strategic Engagement Plan, a framework guiding cooperation on political dialogue, trade, development, security and people-to-people exchanges, with the next joint commission meeting scheduled to be held in Islamabad next year.
