Australia declare on 97-2, set 506-run target for Pakistan

Australia's Usman Khawaja, right, and Marnus Labuschagne, center, walk back to pavilion at the end of the third day play of the second test against Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi, Pakistan, on March 14, 2022. (AP)
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Updated 15 March 2022
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Australia declare on 97-2, set 506-run target for Pakistan

  • The visitors batted for just 26 minutes on the fourth morning before declaring the innings
  • Australia now have 172 overs to grab a 1-0 lead in the three-match series

KARACHI: Australia declared their second innings on 97-2 on Tuesday to set a daunting 506-run target for Pakistan to win the second Test in Karachi.

The visitors batted for just 26 minutes on the fourth morning before declaring the innings after Marnus Labuschagne was bowled by paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Australia have 172 overs to grab a 1-0 lead in the three-match series -- their first in Pakistan for 24 years.

Australia made 556-9 in their first innings before dismissing Pakistan for a paltry 148, taking a big 408-run lead.


Pakistan says repaid over $13.06 billion domestic debt early in last 14 months

Updated 29 January 2026
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Pakistan says repaid over $13.06 billion domestic debt early in last 14 months

  • Finance adviser says repayment shows “decisive shift” toward fiscal discipline, responsible economic management
  • Says Pakistan’s total public debt has declined from over $286.6 billion in June 2025 to $284.7 billion in November 2025

KARACHI: Pakistan has repaid Rs3,650 billion [$13.06 billion] in domestic debt before time during the last 14 months, Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad said on Thursday, adding that the achievement reflected a shift in the country’s approach toward fiscal discipline. 

Schehzad said Pakistan has been repaying its debt before maturity, owed to the market as well as the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), since December 2024. He said the government had repaid the central bank Rs300 billion [$1.08 billion] in its latest repayment on Thursday. 

“This landmark achievement reflects a decisive shift toward fiscal discipline, credibility, and responsible economic management,” Schehzad wrote on social media platform X. 

Giving a breakdown of what he said was Pakistan’s “early debt retirement journey,” the finance official said Pakistan retired Rs1,000 billion [$3.576 billion] in December 2024, Rs500 billion [$1.78 billion] in June 2025, Rs1,160 billion [$4.150 billion] in August 2025, Rs200 billion [$715 million] in October 2025, Rs494 billion [$1.76 billion] in December 2025 and $1.08 billion in January 2026. 

He said with the latest debt repaid today, the July to January period of fiscal year 2026 alone recorded Rs2,150 billion [$7.69 billion] in early retirement, which was 44 percent higher than the debt retired in FY25.

He said of the total early repayments, the government has repaid 65 percent of the central bank’s debt, 30 percent of the treasury bills debt and five percent of the Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) debt. 

The official said Pakistan’s total public debt has declined from over Rs 80.5 trillion [$286.6 billion] in June 2025 to Rs80 trillion [$284.7 billion] in November 2025. 

“Crucially, Pakistan’s debt-to-GDP ratio, around 74 percent in FY22, has declined to around 70 percent, reflecting a broader strengthening of fiscal fundamentals alongside disciplined debt management,” Schehzad wrote. 

Pakistan’s government has said the country’s fragile economy is on an upward trajectory. The South Asian country has been trying to navigate a tricky path to economic recovery under a $7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.