Pakistani opposition parties say will launch drive to oust government after Eid

Senior leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) meet at Bilawal House in Lahore, Pakistan, on July 20, 2020 (PPP Twitter handle)
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Updated 20 July 2020
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Pakistani opposition parties say will launch drive to oust government after Eid

  • Leaders of two major opposition parties, PPP and PML-N, meet at Bilawal House and say have agreed to topple PM Imran Khan-led government 
  • Government spokesman says PPP and PMLN had several chances to run the country but did “nothing” for the masses 

LAHORE: Two major Pakistani opposition political parties said on Monday they would hold a joint conference after the Eid Al-Adha holiday to kickstart a campaign to oust the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan. 

The decision was taken at a meeting of senior leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) at Bilawal House in Lahore. 

“The leadership of the two major opposition parties, PPP, PML-N, agreed on the point that it is necessary to get rid of the Imran-led government,” PMLN leader Ahsan Iqbal told media after the meeting.

“The two parties are unanimous on toppling the PTI [ruling party] government and a strategy will be finalized at the multi parties’ conference to be held after Eidul Adha,” senior PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said. “A joint opposition coordination committee will be formed that will have representatives from all opposition parties.”
A cricket legend and firebrand nationalist who is hero-worshipped by supporters, PM Khan swept to power in 2018 on a populist platform vowing to root out corruption among a venal elite and lift people out of poverty.
But he inherited control of a volatile nation facing mounting problems at home and abroad, including a growing economic crisis and a fracture with historic ally the United States and fraught ties with neighbor Afghanistan and nuclear-armed rival India.
Leaders from the PPP and PMLN said they had agreed that the Khan government had failed to deliver on its promises to the masses. An anti-graft crusade promoted Khan by has led to swathes of arrests of politicians, which opponents have called ‘political victimization.’ 
The PPP and the PMLN have both ruled Pakistani multiple times since its inception in 1947 while Khan’s PTI won its first election two years ago.
“They [PPP and PMLN] have ruled the country for several decades but did nothing for the people,” PTI leader and Punjab information minister Fayazul Hasan Chohan told Arab News. “The two parties who have looted the country ruthlessly are making such efforts to save themselves from accountability.” 


Pakistan Super League to woo foreign investors in London roadshow today

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Pakistan Super League to woo foreign investors in London roadshow today

  • PCB says it has attracted “significant interest” from potential ownership groups in UK as it expands PSL to eight teams
  • PSL roadshow to attract diverse audience of business leaders, potential franchise owners and cricket supporters, says PCB

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) will host a landmark roadshow at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground (MCC) in London today, Sunday, to showcase the league’s commercial strength and future direction to foreign investors. 

The PSL is Pakistan’s premier T20 cricket league that features six city-based teams competing for the league’s title every year. The tournament’s 11th edition is expected to be held in April and May next year. 

The PCB has announced it will expand the cricket league to include two more franchises this year, raising the total number of teams to eight. The board said in a statement earlier this year that it has already received “significant interest” from potential ownership groups across the UK regarding the two new teams. 

“The London Roadshow aims to build on this momentum by offering investors and cricket lovers an immersive introduction to the league, its commercial ecosystem and the strategic vision driving its next phase of growth,” the board said in a statement on Dec. 2. 

The PCB said it expects to draw a diverse audience of business leaders, potential franchise owners and cricket supporters eager to engage with the league at the roadshow. 

It said the initiative will showcase PSL’s commitment to global expansion, strategic partnerships and delivering world-class entertainment and cricketing excellence. 

“This event is an important opportunity to deepen global partnerships and share our long-term vision for expansion and innovation,” PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi was quoted as saying by the board. 

“We look forward to welcoming investors and cricket enthusiasts in London.”

Within a span of 10 years, the PSL has competed for viewership with some of the most prominent cricket leagues around the world, including the Indian Premier League, the Big Bash League, the Hundred and the Caribbean Premier League, among others.