ISLAMABAD: Tens of thousands of people gathered near a prominent national monument in Lahore on Saturday to offer the funeral prayers of the founding leader of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Khadim Hussain Rizvi, who died at the age of 54 on Thursday.
Rizvi’s son, Saad Rizvi, has been appointed new leader of the group.
Rizvi’s last political activity was to lead an anti-France demonstration on the outskirts of Islamabad to protest the publication of caricatures disparaging Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
The cause of his death could not be determined, though it was claimed that he was suffering from high fever and experienced breathing difficulties before his death.
Most people who participated in his funeral were not wearing face masks, though the country has been swept by a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic and most cities have made it mandatory for their residents to take precautionary measures at public places.
The TLP party emerged after Mumtaz Qadri, a police commando, assassinated Punjab governor Salman Taseer in Jan. 2011 for defending a Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to death for committing blasphemy.
Rizvi and his associates launched a campaign for Qadri’s release, saying he had acted to protect the honor of the Prophet (pbuh).
Anti-blasphemy protests organized by TLP in 2017 paralyzed Islamabad for several weeks, and were only dispersed after a military-brokered deal. Rizvi and his party also held nationwide protests against Bibi’s acquittal in Oct. 2018.
Pakistan’s mainstream media usually avoid covering TLP protests, but the group reached the masses through social media.
A controversial preacher who used strong language to revile his critics, Rizvi was accused of weaponizing the issue of blasphemy in a country where religious sensitivities usually run high.
His recent demonstration forced the government to consider the possibility of expelling the French ambassador after taking up the issue in parliament.
Tens of thousands attend funeral of hardline Pakistani cleric in Lahore
https://arab.news/wzdhn
Tens of thousands attend funeral of hardline Pakistani cleric in Lahore
- Rizvi’s son, Saad Rizvi, has been appointed the next leader of the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan
- The cleric's critics accuse him of weaponizing the issue of blasphemy in a country where religious sensitivities usually run high
Pakistan cricket chief courts investors at UK roadshow as T20 league eyes expansion
- Mohsin Naqvi says the board is investing in infrastructure and high-performance training centers for players
- PSL features six teams and is expected to expand to eight, with its next edition scheduled for April and May
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Monday the board was investing in cricket infrastructure and high-performance training centers as he aimed to attract investors from the United Kingdom to buy Pakistan Super League (PSL) teams.
The remarks came during a PSL roadshow at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, which brought together investors, franchise representatives and league officials to showcase the league’s commitment to global expansion, strategic partnerships and world-class entertainment.
PSL is Pakistan’s premier T20 cricket league, featuring six city-based teams competing for the title each year. The tournament’s 11th edition is expected to take place in April and May next year.
PCB has announced plans to expand the league by adding two new franchises this year, increasing the total number of teams to eight. The board said in a statement earlier this year it had already received “significant interest” from potential ownership groups in the UK for the two new teams.
“So, I will tell one thing to the investors, that we are not spending only money on the infrastructure, but also on the high-performance centers,” Naqvi said while speaking to the participants.
He highlighted that the PCB had recently renovated the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore while the renovation of the National Stadium in Karachi was halfway done.
“We are building a new stadium in Islamabad ... [which will be] one of the best stadiums in Pakistan,” he added. “We are targeting Abbottabad. We are taking over Muzaffarabad stadium [in Azad Kashmir] also.”
The PSL roadshow aims to offer investors and cricket lovers an immersive introduction to the league, its commercial ecosystem and the strategic vision driving its next phase of growth.
Within a span of 10 years, 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.
