ISLAMABAD: With just days left before the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024 kicks off, Peshawar Zalmi’s owner said on Sunday that the franchise plans to continue “amassing titles” in the future as a promise to its fans.
PSL, Pakistan’s national cricket league, was launched in 2016 and has since then seen unexpected success. Managed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the PSL is Pakistan’s professional T20 cricket league that features six franchises representing various Pakistani cities.
Peshawar Zalmi, also known as the “Yellow Storm,” is arguably one of the most popular franchises in the six-team tournament. With skipper Babar Azam and an array of talented, explosive batters at their display, Peshawar Zalmi will be one of the toughest sides to beat in this year’s tournament.
In the past eight editions of the PSL, Peshawar Zalmi holds the most impressive record as they have featured in four finals and have at least reached the play-offs on every other occasion.
“The plan on our horizon is to continue amassing titles, not merely as a testament to our cricketing prowess but as a promise to the people of Peshawar who eagerly await to see their favorite players in action on their home ground,” Zalmi owner Javed Afridi said in a statement.
Challenging security conditions mean the PSL has so far not been played in Zalmi’s home ground, the northwestern city of Peshawar. The Yellow Storm won PSL 2 trophy in front of a packed Pakistani crowd in 2017 at the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Afridi remembers the memory of winning the trophy and what it meant to millions of Zalmi fans.
“The significance of bringing home the title surpassed the realm of a mere cricketing achievement; it became a unifying force that reverberated across the entire Pashtun community and beyond,” he said.
While the PSL 2024 kicks off on Feb. 17, Zalmi play their first match against the Quetta Gladiators at the Qaddafi Stadium on Sunday, February 18.
Peshawar Zalmi’s fixtures for PSL 9:
18 February v Quetta Gladiators, Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore
21 February v Karachi Kings, Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore
23 February v Multan Sultans, Multan Cricket Stadium
25 February v Lahore Qalandars, Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore
26 February v Islamabad United, Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore
2 March v Lahore Qalandars, Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
4 March v Islamabad United, Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
5 March v Multan Sultans, Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
8 March v Quetta Gladiators, Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
11 March v Karachi Kings, National Bank Stadium, Karachi
Peshawar Zalmi eyes ‘amassing titles’ days before PSL 2024 kicks off
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Peshawar Zalmi eyes ‘amassing titles’ days before PSL 2024 kicks off
- Peshawar Zalmi is one of the most popular franchises in the Pakistan Super League tournament
- The side has is captained by Babar Azam and has array of talented, explosive batters at its display
Pakistan high court pauses tree-cutting in Islamabad until Feb. 2
- Islamabad High Court asks CDA to ‘explain and justify’ tree-cutting at next hearing
- CDA officials say 29,000 trees were cut due to allergies, deny felling in green belts
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has ordered an immediate halt to tree-cutting in the federal capital until Feb. 2, seeking justification from civic authorities over the legality of a large-scale felling drive that has seen thousands of trees removed in recent months.
The interim order, issued by a single-judge bench led by Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, came during proceedings on a petition challenging the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) tree-cutting operations in Islamabad’s Shakarparian area and H-8 sector.
At the outset of the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel argued that trees were being felled in violation of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997, the Islamabad Wildlife Ordinance 1979 and the city’s master plan.
“Respondents shall not cut trees till the next date of hearing,” Justice Soomro said in the court order released on Friday while referring to CDA officials.
“Respondents are directed to come fully prepared and to file paragraph-wise comments before the next date of hearing, along with a comprehensive report explaining the justification and legal basis for the cutting of trees,” he added.
According to the court order, the petitioner maintained that the CDA had not made any public disclosure regarding the legal basis for the operation and that the felling was causing environmental harm.
The petition sought access to the official record of tree-cutting activities and called for the penalization of CDA officials responsible for the act under relevant criminal and environmental laws.
It also urged the court to impose a moratorium on infrastructure projects in Islamabad, order large-scale replanting as compensation and constitute a judicial commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to probe the alleged violations.
CDA officials acknowledge around 29,000 paper mulberry trees have been cut in the capital in recent months, arguing that the species triggers seasonal allergies such as sneezing, itchy eyes and nasal congestion.
They also maintain that no trees have been removed from designated green belts and that the number of replacement trees planted exceeds those felled.
Designed in the 1960s by Greek architect Constantinos Doxiadis, Islamabad was conceived as a low-density city with green belts and protected natural zones at its core.
Critics, however, say the recent felling has extended beyond paper mulberry trees and question whether authorities are adhering to the city’s master plan and the legal protections governing forested and green areas.
The court has adjourned its hearing until Feb. 2, 2026.
