KARACHI: The seventh edition of the country’s most popular HBL Pakistan Super League T20 cricket tournament is scheduled to commence in Karachi on Thursday amid tight security, said a senior police official while talking to Arab News.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also said on Wednesday the country’s legendary popstar Atif Aslam and singing sensation Aima Baig were expected to bedazzle people with their performance at the opening ceremony which would be followed by a faceoff between defending champion Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings.
Pakistan’s cricket captain Babar Azam, who has record number of T20I wins to his credit in a single calendar year, will lead Karachi Kings while Mohammad Rizwan, who became the first-ever batter to score more than 1,000 T20I runs last year, will lead Multan Sultans.
Karachi on Wednesday reported 1,542 new COVID-19 cases with an infection rate of 40.91 percent. However, the country’s cricket board has already announced strict measures to prevent the virus spread during the tournament.
Going by the directives of the National Command and Operation Center, the PCB has reduced the seating capacity of the National Cricket Stadium to 25 percent for the first 15 matches to be played in Karachi. T
It is yet to announce its decision on the number of spectators during the second phase of the tournament which will be held in Lahore.
“We have taken strict security measures to make the tournament a success,” said Muqadas Haider, deputy inspector general of police who looks after the city’s eastern zone where the cricket stadium is located.
He said 6,000 police personnel would perform security duty at different routes in and around the tournament venue.
“Paramilitary Rangers have also been asked to perform security duty in the city,” he added.
The first few editions of the tournament attracted large numbers of people in the United Arab Emirates – where PSL was launched – and Pakistan.
However, analysts maintain they have still not witnessed enough enthusiasm for the contest during this year.
“We haven’t seen the usual passion this year but we should not forget the tournament is being held in an age of COVID-19,” Abdul Majid Bhatti, cricket journalist and analyst, told Arab News.
He added it would be a huge achievement if PCB successfully managed to complete the tournament, adding it was vital for the revival of cricket in the country.
Bhatti said Pakistan was expecting four international teams, including Australia, New Zeeland and England, in the coming months.
“If this tournament is successfully held with the participation of international players according to schedule, it will pave the way for the arrival of international teams,” he noted while pointing out that a recent militant attack in a crowded market in Lahore had once again raised security concerns.
Apart from the two teams that will play the first match on Thursday, Lahore Qalandars are captained by Shaheen Shah Afridi who has witnessed a meteoric rise in international cricket since his debut in 2018.
Islamabad United are led by Shadab Khan while Sarfaraz Ahmed will continue to command Quetta Gladiators.
Peshawar Zalmi will be led by Wahab Riaz.
PSL has established itself as one of the top T20 leagues around the world and has featured some of the best international cricketers.
Given the competitiveness of the tournament, the league has witnessed five out of six sides getting crowned as champions since its inception in 2016.
The inaugural champions, Islamabad United, are the only ones to have bagged the title twice.
Peshawar Zalmi won the tournament in 2017 after beating Quetta Gladiators in the final match in Lahore. This was also the first HBL PSL contest that took place on Pakistan’s soil.
According to PCB, Pakistani cricket fans will be able to watch all the matches on A Sports and PTV Sports.
HBL PSL 7 will also be broadcast around the world by Fox Sports (Australia), Etisalat (Middle-East and North Africa), Flow Sports (Caribbean), Sky NZ (New Zealand), Sky Sports (United Kingdom), Sony (South Asia outside Pakistan), Super Sports (Sub-Saharan Africa) and Willow TV (North America).
Daraz App will live-stream the action in Pakistan, while OTT platforms ICC TV and Tapmad will also telecast the tournament.
Pakistan Super League tournament to begin in Karachi amid tight security today
https://arab.news/n8mtm
Pakistan Super League tournament to begin in Karachi amid tight security today
- Pakistani popstars Atif Aslam and Aima Baig will perform at the opening ceremony of the country’s most popular T20 contest
- Defending champion Multan Sultans will clash with Karachi Kings after the star-studded inauguration ceremony
IMF says its mission will visit Pakistan this month to discuss new loan
- Pakistan last month completed a short-term $3 billion program, which helped stave off sovereign default
- But the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed the need for a fresh, longer-term program
KARACHI: An International Monetary Fund mission is expected to visit Pakistan this month to discuss a new program, the lender said on Sunday ahead of Islamabad beginning its annual budget-making process for the next financial year.
Pakistan last month completed a short-term $3 billion program, which helped stave off sovereign default, but the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed the need for a fresh, longer-term program.
“A mission is expected to visit Pakistan in May to discuss the FY25 budget, policies, and reforms under a potential new program for the welfare of all Pakistanis,” the IMF said in an emailed response to Reuters.
Pakistan’s financial year runs from July to June and its budget for fiscal year 2025, the first by Sharif’s new government, has to be presented before June 30.
The IMF did not specify the dates of the visit, nor the size or duration of the program.
“Accelerating reforms now is more important than the size of the program, which will be guided by the package of reform and balance of payments needs,” the IMF statement said.
Pakistan narrowly averted default last summer, and its $350 billion economy has stabilized after the completion of the last IMF program, with inflation coming down to around 17 percent in April from a record high 38 percent last May.
It is still dealing with a high fiscal shortfall and while it has controlled its external account deficit through import control mechanisms, it has come at the expense of stagnating growth, which is expected to be around 2 percent this year compared to negative growth last year.
Earlier, in an interview with Reuters, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said the country hoped to agree the contours of a new IMF loan in May.
Pakistan is expected to seek at least $6 billion and request additional financing from the Fund under the Resilience and Sustainability Trust.
Pakistan PM extends condolences over death of Saudi poet Prince Badr bin Abdul Mohsen
- Prince Badr, affectionately known as the ‘word engineer,’ was a legendary figure in the contemporary Saudi poetry
- His influence on art form was felt across the Gulf, while his eloquent verses left indelible mark on hearts and minds
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday extended his heartfelt condolences to Saudi Arabia’s Royal Family on the death of eminent Saudi poet, Prince Badr bin Abdul Mohsen, saying his legacy would continue to inspire generations to come.
The prince, affectionately known as the “word engineer,” was a legendary figure in contemporary Saudi poetry whose influence in the art form was felt across the country and the wider Gulf region, where his eloquent verses and poignant prose left an indelible mark on the people’s hearts and minds.
A pioneer in the popularization of Saudi poetry among Arab audiences, Prince Badr’s verses were immortalized in songs by many esteemed Arab artists, including Talal Maddah, Mohammed Abdu, Kadim Al-Sahir and Assala. His patriotic words and songs struck a deep chord with Saudis in particular.
In a post on X, Sharif said Prince Badr’s most popular song on Saudi Arabia’s National Day would always remind the world of his profound love for his country.
“His contributions to contemporary poetry in the Arabian Peninsula were truly remarkable and his legacy will continue to inspire generations to come,” the Pakistan premier said.
“May his soul rest in peace and may his words forever resonate in the hearts of poetry lovers around the world.”
Prince Badr was born on April 2, 1949, and his journey as a poet and cultural figure began at a young age. He studied in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UK and the US as he took his early steps on the path to becoming a significant figure in Arab literature.
As president of the Saudi Society for Culture and Arts, he played a crucial role in fostering artistic expression and influencing the development of poetry organizations in the Kingdom. In recognition of his outstanding contributions in the field, King Salman honored Prince Badr with the prestigious King Abdulaziz Medal in 2019.
Soon after, the Kingdom’s Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission announced plans to collect and publish his complete literary works to commemorate his enduring legacy and celebrate the profound impact he had on the Saudi creative movement during a five-decade career.
Top Afghan diplomat in India quits after $2 million gold smuggling reports
- Zakia Wardak was reportedly stopped last month on arrival at Mumbai airport, carrying 25 kilograms of gold
- The Afghan consul-general was not arrested because of her diplomatic immunity, but the gold was confiscated
NEW DELHI: Afghanistan’s top diplomat in India resigned days after she was reportedly caught by airport authorities smuggling nearly $2 million worth of gold into the country.
Zakia Wardak, the Afghan Consul-General in India’s financial capital Mumbai, posted a statement on social media platform X announcing her resignation.
Afghanistan’s embassy in New Delhi shut down in November, more than two years after the Taliban returned to power in Kabul following the collapse of the Western-backed government, leaving Wardak as the country’s most senior representative in India.
“It is with great regret that I announce my decision to step away from my role at the Consulate and Embassy in India, effective May 5, 2024,” Wardak said Saturday.
Indian media reports said Wardak was last month stopped by financial intelligence authorities at Mumbai airport on arrival from Dubai — along with her son — carrying 25 kilograms of gold.
She was not arrested because of her diplomatic immunity, the reports said, but the gold — worth around $1.9 million — was confiscated.
Wardak’s resignation leaves thousands of Afghan nationals, including students and businessmen, without any consular representation in India.
Most foreign nations — including India — do not officially recognize Afghanistan’s Taliban government, but acknowledge them as the de facto ruling authority.
In many Afghan missions, diplomats appointed by the former government have refused to cede control of embassy buildings and property to representatives of the Taliban authorities.
Wardak said in the statement that she had “encountered numerous personal attacks and defamation” over the past year.
Such incidents “have demonstrated the challenges faced by women in Afghan society,” she added, making no explicit reference to the gold allegations.
The Taliban authorities have full control of around a dozen Afghan embassies abroad — including in Pakistan, China, Turkiye and Iran.
Others operate on a hybrid system, with the ambassador gone but embassy staff still carrying out routine consular work such as issuing visas and other documents.
Most countries evacuated their missions from Kabul as the Taliban closed in on the Afghan capital in August 2021, although a handful of embassies — including Pakistan, China and Russia — never shut, and still have ambassadors in Kabul.
At OIC summit, Pakistan expresses concern over Israel’s ‘brutal’ military onslaught in Gaza
- Pakistan’s Deputy PM Ishaq Dar expresses full support for Palestine’s inclusion as a United Nations member
- Dar urges OIC member states at Banjul Summit to push for immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Palestine
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday expressed his deep concern over Israel’s “brutal military onslaught” in the West Bank and Gaza, state-run media reported, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Palestine.
Dar was speaking at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit being held against a backdrop of widespread anger over Israel’s military actions in Gaza. The Jewish state has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians and caused massive destruction of hospitals, schools and residential neighborhoods in the densely populated area.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister arrived in Gambia on Wednesday to present his country’s perspective on a wide range of issues, including the war in Gaza and the rights situation in Indian-administered Kashmir.
“Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Sunday expressed Pakistan’s deep concern over Israel’s ongoing brutal military onslaught against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank,” the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
“In the backdrop of the genocide of Palestinians and atrocities of Israeli forces, he urged the OIC Member States to work together for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.”
Dar also expressed Pakistan’s support for Palestine’s admission as a full member of the UN, demanding the resumption of the process for a two-state solution in the Middle East.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister called for the creation of a viable, contiguous and sovereign state of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders.
Dar also spoke on an uptick in Islamophobic sentiments and incidents in different parts of the world, particularly since the outset of Israel’s war in Gaza last year in October.
He urged the OIC to formulate a joint strategy to work with global social media platforms to harmonize their content regulation policies for blasphemous, anti-Islamic and Islamophobic content.
“Dar also strongly condemned the surge in anti-Pakistan rhetoric and Islamophobic narratives by India’s political leaders during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections which threatened the regional stability,” the APP said.
He urged the OIC to work collectively to address the existential threat of climate change, which caused catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022 that killed over 1,700 people and affected over 33 million in total.
Dar met The Gambia’s president and his counterparts from Turkiye and Azerbaijan to discuss enhancing bilateral trade and economic cooperation, Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement.
Pakistan to face India on Oct. 6 in women’s T20 World Cup clash
- ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to run from Oct. 3-20 in Dhaka and Sylhet
- Pakistan are placed in Group A with Australia, India, New Zealand, Qualifier 1
DHAKA: England will face South Africa in the opening match of the ICC Women’s Twenty20 World Cup to be held in Bangladesh later this year, the International Cricket Council announced on Sunday.
The event will run from October 3 to 20 in the capital Dhaka and the northeastern city of Sylhet, with warm-up matches starting on September 27.
Hosts Bangladesh and the top six teams from the previous edition in South Africa — Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies — qualified automatically for the tournament, with Pakistan joining them as the next best ranked team.
Ireland, the UAE, Sri Lanka and Scotland are in contention for the remaining two places, with the semifinals of the qualifying tournament being held in the UAE.
Six-times winners and current world number one Australia will play in Group A alongside India, New Zealand, Pakistan and a Qualifier 1.
Neighbours and rivals India and Pakistan will face off on October 6.
Group B will feature South Africa, Bangladesh, England, West Indies, and Qualifier 2.
“Over the last six to seven years we have seen women’s cricket grow exponentially,” ICC chief executive officer Geoff Allardice said at the announcement of the fixture list and trophy unveiling in Dhaka.
“This is going to be a very special tournament,” he added.
It will be the ninth edition of the tournament, with Bangladesh previously hosting in 2014.
