QUETTA: Sikh residents of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province joined hands with the global faith-based community on Saturday by protesting the assassination of a prominent leader of the separatist Khalistan movement in a Vancouver suburb in June of this year.
Last week, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau informed that his administration had obtained “credible intelligence” that 45-year-old Hardeep Singh Nijjar had been gunned down at the behest of the Indian authorities.
The Sikh separatist movement gained pace in the 1970s and 1980s in the Indian state of Punjab, as its proponents sought a state called Khalistan amid an acute sense of marginalization and desire for greater autonomy in India.
Its most significant and violent phase arrived when there was an armed conflict between Khalistan activists and the Indian security personnel who stormed one of the holiest sites of Sikhism called the Golden Temple in June 1984.
The statement by the Canadian prime minister sparked a diplomatic row between the two countries, leading to demonstrations in different parts of the world by members of the Sikh community.
“Sikhs have been protesting across Pakistan and demanding justice for Hardeep Singh Nijjar,” Sardar Jaspeer Singh, chairman of Balochistan’s Sikh community, told Arab News during the protest demonstration.
“We demand immediate arrest of the perpetrators involved in the murder of the Sikh leader in Canada,” he continued. “The Canadian Government has categorically told the international community that the Indian government was directly involved in the assassination. Now, the world and the global justice bodies must mount pressure on India to hand over Singh’s murderers.”
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, who is currently in New York to attend the 78th United Nations General Assembly session, said on Friday the “gruesome murder” of the leader of Khalistan movement had shocked Western nations while calling for an alliance to check the “rough behavior” of the Indian government.
The Sikh protesters in Quetta, the capital city of Balochistan province, started the rally from Gurudwara Sri Singh Sabha before arriving in front of the Quetta Press Club where they were joined by civil society activists.
“The world should support the humanity instead of its geopolitical interests when dealing with New Delhi, given that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not only been committing atrocities against Sikhs but also against other minorities in India,” Abdul Hadi, chairman of the Green Pakistan Party, told Arab News while attending the rally to express solidarity with the global Sikh community.
Sikhs in Pakistan accuse India of killing their leader in Canada
https://arab.news/mayzk
Sikhs in Pakistan accuse India of killing their leader in Canada
- Justin Trudeau said last week his government had solid evidence of Indian involvement in Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing
- The statement led to a diplomatic row between the two states and sparked Sikh protests in various parts of the world
PCB sets Feb. 11 as date for player auction for Pakistan Super League 11th edition
- The squad composition would be a minimum of 16 players and a maximum of 20
- The number of foreign players would be five to seven depending on the squad size
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced that the player auction for the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be held on Feb. 11, setting the stage for franchises to begin assembling squads for the country’s premier Twenty20 tournament.
The development came after a workshop regarding PSL player auction at the Qaddafi Stadium, which was presided over by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and PSL CEO Salman Naseer.
The workshop was attended by PSL officials, all eight franchise representatives, members of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad, PCB officials and other capped players.
“The HBL PSL management shared a detailed presentation on the mechanics of the retention and the auction process and consulted with all the participants,” the PCB said.
“It was agreed that the HBL PSL player auction will take place on Wednesday, 11 February.”
The squad composition would be a minimum of 16 players and maximum of 20 players per franchise. The number of foreign players would be five to seven depending on the squad size, according to the PCB.
It would be mandatory for the franchises to play minimum of three and maximum of four foreign players in the playing XI. The teams are also required to have minimum of two uncapped Under 23 players in the squad and one in the playing XI.
Players either retained or picked in the auction will be engaged for two-year contracts with their respective franchise teams, the board said, adding that franchise teams will be able to retain a maximum of seven players for the 12th edition of the tournament.
“I’m delighted that a consultative and productive session was held between the franchises, players and management today resulting in informed and strategic decisions which will pave the way for bright future for the HBL PSL,” Naqvi said.
“The Player Auction model is a landmark step for the HBL PSL, offering players better financial opportunities through an increased salary purse and a transparent acquisition process, while making the league more competitive and attractive.”
PSL CEO Naseer said the player auction system modernizes player recruitment by promoting fairness, transparency, and market-driven value, strengthening the PSL’s appeal for both players and franchises.
“Today’s workshop saw all views being taken into consideration and this rich feedback will be reflected in our execution of a successful player auction scheduled next month,” he said.
PSL has become a key pillar of the country’s cricket economy, providing financial stability to the PCB and serving as a talent pipeline for the national team. The 11th edition of the league is set to begin from Mar. 26 while the final is expected to be played on May 3, as per the PCB’s schedule.
