Quetta beats Lahore, Peshawar defeats Karachi in PSL 

Pakistan Super League's team Quetta Galdiators players celebrate the dismissal of a Lahore Qalandar batsman in Abu Dhabi on June 15, 2021. (Photo courtesy: PSL Twitter)
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Updated 16 June 2021
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Quetta beats Lahore, Peshawar defeats Karachi in PSL 

  • Peshawar Zalmi moved into second place with a six-wicket victory over the defending champion Karachi Kings
  • Lahore again struggled with the top order and slipped to 6-57 in nine overs

ABU DHABI: The Lahore Qalandars’ batting crumbled for the second straight game in the Pakistan Super League as the Quetta Gladiators recorded an 18-run win on Tuesday. 

Left-arm fast bowler Usman Shinwari, playing his first game in the Abu Dhabi leg of Pakistan’s premier domestic Twenty20 league, grabbed 3-32 before Lahore was bowled out for 140 in 18 overs.
In the second match Tuesday, Peshawar Zalmi, 109-4, moved into second place with a six-wicket victory over the defending champion Karachi Kings, who scored 108-9. Peshawar reached the victory target with 54 balls to spare and is two points behind leading Islamabad United, although Peshawar has played an extra match.
Earlier, opening batsman Jake Weatherald (48) was the top scorer for Quetta and captain Sarfaraz Ahmed provided a late flourish with an unbeaten knock of 34 in his team’s competitive total of 158-5.
Lahore, which lost seven wickets for 14 runs in its previous game against Islamabad United, again struggled with the top order and slipped to 6-57 in nine overs.
Shinwari had captain Sohail Akhtar caught in the slip for nought in the first over and left-handed opener Fakhar Zaman (12) was clean bowled by Mohammad Hasnain.
Mohammad Hafeez’s (1) struggle in Abu Dhabi continued when Shinwari found the leading edge of the most experienced T20 batsman and had him caught at covers. Hafeez’s unimpressive run in the PSL has seen him scoring three single digits scores in the last four games.
Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz had Ben Dunk and Rashid Khan clean bowled as both batsmen attempted ambitious pull shots before Tim David (46) smacked three sixes and four boundaries to give Lahore a glimmer of hope.
But Shinwari returned and had David caught behind in the 16th over before Mohammad Hasnain (2-40) wrapped up the innings by uprooting the middle stump of No. 11 batsman Haris Rauf.
Earlier, James Faulkner continued to impress with his swing bowling when the Australian chipped in with 3-25. Power-hitter Azam Khan made a quickfire 33 off 18 balls before Faulkner had him caught in the deep in his last over and capped another brilliant performance in PSL by having Nawaz caught off his own bowling.
But Sarfaraz ensured Quetta past the 150-run mark by adding 43 runs in the last five overs with Hasan Khan remaining unbeaten on 12. It was only the second win in the tournament for Quetta, which sits last with four points.
In the second match, Peshawar spin bowler Abrar Ahmed took 3-14 and paceman Wahab Riaz 3-34 to helped restrict Karachi. Abbas Afridi was 27 not out and opener Sharjeel Khan scored 25 for Karachi.
Opener Hazratullah Zazai scored 63 runs from 26 balls with eight fours and four sixes to give Peshawar a strong early start. He was named man of the match.


Pakistan says defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated brotherly ties to ‘new heights’

Updated 25 February 2026
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Pakistan says defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated brotherly ties to ‘new heights’

  • Pakistan, Saudi Arabia signed strategic defense pact last year pledging aggression against one will be treated as attack on both
  • Deputy PM Ishaq Dar says enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form vital pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy 

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that Pakistan’s defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated its brotherly ties with the Kingdom to “new heights,” stressing that close ties with Arab and Islamic nations form a key pillar of Islamabad’s foreign policy. 

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement on Sept. 17 last year, pledging that aggression against one country would be treated as an attack on both, enhancing joint deterrence and formalizing decades of military and security cooperation.

Both nations agreed in October 2025 to launch an economic cooperation framework to strengthen trade and investment ties. 

“In the Middle East, our landmark Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia has elevated our brotherly ties to new heights,” Dar said while speaking at the Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 event in Islamabad. 

The Pakistani deputy prime minister was speaking on the topic “Navigating International Relations Amidst Changing Geo-Politics.”

Dar noted that Pakistan has reinforced partnerships with other Middle Eastern nations such as the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Egypt and Bahrain. He said these partnerships have yielded “concrete agreements” in investment, agriculture, infrastructure, and energy sectors. 

“Our enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form a vital pillar of our foreign policy, and we will continue to expand our partnerships across Asia, Latin America, and Africa,” he said. 

Dar pointed out that the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have undertaken visits to Pakistan in recent months, reflecting Central Asian nations’ desire to boost cooperation with Islamabad.

On South Asia, the Pakistani deputy PM said Pakistan has successfully transformed its fraternal ties with Bangladesh into “a substantive partnership.”

“Similarly, the trilateral mechanism involving China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh has been launched with a view to expanding and deepening regional cooperation and synergy,” the Pakistani minister said. 

He said Islamabad has strengthened its “all-weather” partnership with China via the second phase of the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor agreement and “unwavering support” from both sides for each other’s core interests. 

Dar said Pakistan had also reinvigorated its partnership with the US, advancing cooperation in trade, technology, investment, and regional stability. 

“This calibrated approach has enhanced our ability to navigate complexity with skill and confidence, ensuring that our national interests are served without compromising our core foreign policy principles,” he said.