KARACHI: Tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators gathered for a rally organized by a Pakistani opposition alliance in Quetta’s Ayub Stadium on Sunday, despite appeals by the Balochistan government to postpone the power show following a security threat issued by the national counterterrorism authority.
The anti-government alliance, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), was formed by the country’s major opposition parties — Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) — in late September to start a countrywide campaign to remove Imran Khan's government and hold early elections.
The rallies have boasted huge crowds drawn in by the unlikely alliance of opposition parties that have scarcely ever been on the same page, with the first two rallies held in Punjab province’s Gujranwala followed by another one in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi.
Sunday’s Quetta rally is PDM’s third rally in ten days, with the stadium, boasting space for 20,000 people, choked to capacity.
Speaking via video link from Gilgit-Baltistan, where he is campaigning ahead of regional elections, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Khan's regime was destroying the country's economy and that the government's multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was not benefitting the southwestern province of Balochistan where its main projects are underway.
“Imran Khan has given nothing to Balochistan. He wants to destroy the country’s economy. This is disaster, not change,” Bilawal said.
"The poor masses of the country are burdened by the incompetent and selected government. This is historic inflation and poverty."
Earlier, the rally’s first address came from former Prime Minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif via video link from London, where he has been since November last year after securing medical bail from a local court in a corruption case.
Sharif has been accusing the military establishment of toppling his government, pressuring the judiciary and orchestrating Imran Khan’s rise to power in 2018 — the same year Sharif was convicted on corruption charges and sentenced to seven years in prison.
Addressing the crowds in Quetta, Sharif reiterated his earlier claims that Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed and Army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa had "meddled in politics" to bring to power Imran Khan and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
“I need answers which Gen. Bajwa has to give, Gen. Faiz Hameed has to give. General Bajwa, you have to be accountable for the theft of vote. You have to be accountable for the horse-trading. You will have to be accountable for enforcing Imran (Khan) Niazi by breaking the law,” the PML-N leader said.
Sharif’s daughter and PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz echoed her father’s words.
“The reason you are deprived of food and shelter is that your vote is not respected. Those who rule you are not answerable to you but to someone else, someone else pulls their strings,” Nawaz said, speaking to the crowds on stage in Quetta.
Some opposition leaders said they had been prevented from attending the rally.
National Assembly member and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Mohsin Dawar was stopped at Quetta airport on Saturday, reportedly over security concerns.
“I was not allowed to enter the city because I wanted to unite the Pashtuns and Baloch of the province. I was not allowed because I speak for human rights and rule of law,” Dawar told Arab News on Sunday.
While the security-flagged rally was underway, a bomb blast in a separate part of the city killed at least three people in a Hazara neighborhood. The separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Thousands gather at third opposition rally calling for Pakistan PM to go
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Thousands gather at third opposition rally calling for Pakistan PM to go
- Nawaz Sharif reiterates claims that Pakistan intelligence and army chiefs 'meddled in politics' to bring Imran Khan to power
- A bomb blast claimed by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) killed three people in a separate part of Quetta city as the rally was underway
Pakistan’s cricket body names 18-player squad for upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England
- A 15-player squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be announced before the May 24 deadline
- Fast bowler Haris Rauf along with all-rounders Hasan Ali and Salman Ali Agha have been recalled
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced the 18-player squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England & Wales beginning on May 10 and continuing till the end of the month.
According to a PCB statement, the squad will be reduced to 15 players for next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 after the first T20I at Leeds on 22 May to meet the ICC’s 24 May deadline.
The men’s national selection committee has recalled fast bowler Haris Rauf, along with all-rounders Hasan Ali and Salman Ali Agha, in the 18-player squad.
The two cricketers who did not make the cut from the original 17-player squad that faced New Zealand are wrist spinner Usama Mir and fast bowler Zaman Khan.
“Crafting this squad was a challenging task due to the outstanding talent available,” the PCB selection committee was quoted in the statement. “After thorough deliberation and considering various cricketing aspects, we have finalized 18 players.”
“The squad encompasses a robust top-order featuring Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub and Usman Khan; an effective middle-order with Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed and Muhammad Irfan Khan; versatile all-rounders in Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan and Salman Ali Agha; a pace battery led by Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi; and the spin prowess of Abrar Ahmed,” it continued.
“We understand Usama and Zaman will be disappointed and they should be as they must be looking ahead to the tours of Ireland and England,” the statement added. “They are quality cricketers and have long careers ahead of them. They need to continue to focus on their cricket so that they are available, if required.”
Haris Rauf and wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan were sidelined for the New Zealand T20Is due to injuries, while middle-order batter Muhammad Irfan Khan and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan were rested from the two T20Is in Lahore due to niggles.
The four cricketers underwent fitness assessments at the National Cricket Academy on Tuesday afternoon, showing significant improvement.
The team is scheduled to depart for Dublin on May 7 following a three-day training camp in Lahore.
Pakistan PM mourns death of UAE royal, lauds role in strengthening bilateral ties
- Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed worked closely with the UAE founding father, helped implement the federal project
- The UAE president has announced a seven-day mourning period after the death of Sheikh Tahnoun on May 1
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday expressed grief over the death of the United Arab Emirates royal, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, while admiring his contributions to building stronger relations between the two countries.
Sheikh Tahnoun was Abu Dhabi’s representative in the Al Ain region of the Gulf state.
His demise at the age of 82 prompted UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to announced a seven-day mourning period in which the country’s flag would be flown at half-mast.
“Deeply saddened at the demise of His Highness Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohamed Al Nahyan,” the Pakistan prime minister said in a social media post. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the leadership and people of the UAE at this hour of grief.”
“He will be long remembered for his contribution to building stronger ties between Pakistan and the U.A.E.,” the post added. “May Allah Almighty grant him eternal peace.”
Sheikh Tahnoun worked closely with the UAE founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and was part of the team that implemented the federal project that led to the declaration of the Union in 1971.
He also served his country in several key capacities in subsequent years and worked to provide better governance to its people.
Pakistani think tank reports significant surge in militant attacks with 70 killed in April
- Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies says Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suffered maximum militant violence
- Pakistan has endured 323 militant attacks during the first four months of the year, resulting in 324 fatalities
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani think tank circulated a report on a significant increase in the number of militant attacks in the country on Wednesday, saying 70 people lost their lives in at least 77 verifiable episodes of extremist violence in the month of April.
Pakistan has witnessed a prolonged surge in militant attacks since the breakdown of a fragile ceasefire between the government and a proscribed armed network, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in November 2022.
Apart from TTP fighters, other extremist and separatist groups have also targeted Pakistani security forces and civilians in recent months.
According to Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), there was a brief lull in March before militant groups resumed their activities last month, with the northwester Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, particularly its southern districts, bearing the brunt.
“According to PICSS statistics, the country experienced at least 77 verifiable militant attacks during April, resulting in 70 fatalities, including 35 civilians and 31 security forces personnel, with four militants killed, and 67 individuals injured, among whom were 32 civilians and 35 security forces personnel,” the security report said.
“In comparison, March 2024 saw 56 militant attacks, resulting in 77 fatalities and 67 injuries,” it continued. “This indicates a 38 percent increase in the number of militant attacks, although there was a 9 percent decline in deaths, with no change in the number of injuries.”
The Islamabad-based think tank informed Balochistan witnessed 16 attacks, resulting in 21 fatalities, including 17 civilians and four security forces personnel, with 31 individuals injured.
Punjab also experienced a surge in militant activities, with four attacks reported in April compared to one in March, resulting in three fatalities.
“In the first four months of the year, Pakistan experienced a total of 323 militant attacks, resulting in 324 fatalities and 387 injuries,” the report added.
Pakistan urges Security Council to reconsider Palestine’s UN membership bid after US veto
- The US blocked a strongly supported Algerian resolution calling for Palestine’s full UN membership on April 18
- Ambassador Munir Akram says Palestine’s membership will rectify ‘historic injustice,’ benefit the two-state solution
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Munir Akram said on Wednesday the Security Council should reconsider Palestine’s application for full membership to the world body after it was rejected last month following the American decision to cast a veto.
Palestine holds the status of a Permanent Observer State at the United Nations since November 29, 2012, allowing it to participate in General Assembly debates and co-sponsor resolutions, though it lacks voting rights.
Prior to that, it was considered merely an “entity” by the UN, which limited its ability to engage formally in proceedings and symbolized a lesser recognition of its sovereignty claims.
The Algerian resolution calling for Palestine’s full UN membership was blocked by the United States on April 18 despite being strongly supported by other countries.
“Pakistan has urged the UN Security Council to reconsider & recommend Palestine’s application for a full membership of the UN in line with the overwhelming global opinion,” the country’s mission at the UN announced in a social media post after a General Assembly meeting was held to review the development. “It said that such a step would rectify the historic injustice & be pivotal toward the Two-State solution.”
It informed Ambassador Akram told the meeting “diplomatic efforts being made for peace would get considerable momentum if the veto was lifted & Palestine’s admission to the UN was approved by the Security Council.”
The Pakistani diplomat reiterated his country’s stance over the ongoing war in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire and demanding unrestricted access to humanitarian aid.
He also emphasized that any further escalation in the war must be prevented while seeking a revival of the peace process and asking the world community to hold Israel responsible for its “war crimes.”
“The veto cast against Palestine’s admission erodes the credibility of the assurances that have been held out to support the two-state solution,” Akram was quoted as saying by the state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan news agency in its report.
Pakistan to announce T20 squad for England, Ireland series today as World Cup looms
- Pakistan will face Ireland in three T20Is from May 10-14, England in four T20Is from May 22-30
- Pakistan will use both series to prepare for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 slated for June 2024
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said it would announce the national T20 squad for Pakistan’s upcoming away series against Ireland and England today, Thursday, with exactly a month to go before the T20 World Cup kicks off in June.
Pakistan will play three T20Is against Ireland in Dublin from May 12-14 before they take on 2022 World Champions England from May 22-30 in a four-match series.
The series will be an important one for Pakistan and England as both prepare for the T20 World Cup scheduled to kick off from June 2 in the US and West Indies. Pakistan’s matches against England will be played at Leeds, Birmingham, Cardiff and The Oval.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board will hold a media conference at the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Thursday to announce Pakistan men’s cricket team for the tours of Ireland and England,” the PCB said in a press release.
The announcement will be made by the Men’s National Selection Committee at 11:15 a.m., the board said.
Skipper Babar Azam’s side last week won their fifth T20 match against New Zealand in Lahore by nine runs to draw the series 2-2.
Pakistan will begin their campaign for the T20 World Cup against the United States on June 6 before facing India in New York for a high-voltage clash.
Schedule for Ireland, England series:
10 May – v Ireland, 1st T20I, Dublin
12 May – v Ireland, 2nd T20, Dublin
14 May – v Ireland, 3rd T20I, Dublin
22 May – v England, 1st T20I, Leeds
25 May – v England, 2nd T20I, Birmingham
28 May – v England 3rd T20I, Cardiff
30 May – v England, 4th T20I, The Oval
