ISLAMABAD: Chief of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed on Friday dismissed a statement made by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani during an international summit in Uzbekistan wherein he claimed that “jihadi fighters” were entering his country from Pakistan and other places in the world.
Hameed denied the allegation while talking to Geo News in Tashkent, adding it was Pakistan that faced the threat of infiltration from Afghanistan.
“We want peace in the neighboring country since a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan and other countries,” he maintained.
The ISI chief reiterated his country was not supporting any faction in Afghanistan and was interested in a negotiated settlement among all Afghan groups.
Earlier, the Afghan president claimed in his speech that Pakistan was supporting the Taliban while asking Islamabad to use its influence with the group to facilitate peace in Afghanistan.
“Intelligence estimates indicate the influx of over 10,000 jihadi fighters from Pakistan and other places in the last month as well as support from their affiliates and the transnational terrorist organizations,” Ghani told the Uzbekistan summit focusing on regional connectivity between South and Central Asia.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was also present at the gathering, told the Afghan leader it was “extremely unfair” to blame his country for what was going on in Afghanistan.
“I feel really disappointed that we have been blamed for what is going on in Afghanistan,” he said during his speech. “What is happening in Afghanistan is over two decades of conflict, deep divisions and, unfortunately, the United States seeking a military solution where there was not one.”
Khan said the best time to bring the Taliban to the table was when there were 150,000 troops in Afghanistan.
“Why is Taliban going to compromise when the exit date was given and with only a few thousand American troops left [in Afghanistan],” he asked. “Why would they [the Taliban] listen to us when they are sensing victory?“
Pakistani spy chief rejects President Ghani’s allegations its fighters infiltrating Afghanistan
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Pakistani spy chief rejects President Ghani’s allegations its fighters infiltrating Afghanistan
- Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed maintains it is his country that is facing the threat of infiltration from Afghanistan
- The ISI chief says Pakistan is not supporting any faction in Afghanistan and wants a negotiated settlement among all Afghan groups
\Pakistan shortlists 10 bidders to compete for two new PSL franchises
- Pakistan Cricket Board says will hold auction for two new PSL franchises on Jan. 8 in Islamabad
- PSL is Pakistan’s premier T20 cricket tournament featuring a mix of local and international players
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced this week it has cleared 10 interested parties to bid for its two new Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises next month.
Pakistan will hold the 11th edition of the PSL next year from Mar. 26 to May 11, with two new franchises set to debut. The PCB held roadshows in New York and London this month to attract investors to buy the new franchises and invited interested parties to bid for the teams.
The PCB said earlier this week that 12 interested parties had bid for the two teams.
“Following a thorough and transparent evaluation process, the PCB Bid Committee has qualified 10 Bidders who have successfully met the technical criteria and now enter the second stage,” the board said in a statement on Saturday.
The PCB said these 10 bidders will now participate in the auction scheduled to be held on Thursday, Jan. 8 at the Jinnah Convention Center in Pakistan’s capital city, Islamabad.
It said there the franchise rights for the two new HBL PSL teams will be up for grabs.
“At the auction, the successful bidders will have the right to choose their franchise team names from among the following: Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Faisalabad, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad and Sialkot,” it said.
PSL CEO Salman Naseer congratulated the qualified bidders for clearing the process.
“The league looks forward to achieving another significant milestone in the expansion and evolution of the HBL PSL as we now prepare for the eagerly awaited auction,” he said.
The PSL is Pakistan’s premier T20 cricket league that features a mix of local and international players and coaches. It features six teams, each named after a Pakistani city.
With a little over 10 years since it was launched, the PSL has attracted praise from cricket experts and analysts worldwide and competed for viewership with prominent cricket leagues around the world such as the Big Bash League, Caribbean Premier League, Indian Premier League and others.
