ISLAMABAD: Karachi Kings clinched their fourth victory in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) with a thrilling three-wicket win over Lahore Qalandars at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on Saturday night, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
After winning the toss, Kings opted to field, setting the stage for an intense battle. Lahore, batting first, posted a competitive score of 177-5, with significant contributions from their top order.
Mirza Tahir Baig was the first to depart, falling to Anwar Ali in the third over. Abdullah Shafique and Fakhar Zaman then steadied the innings with a 70-run partnership.
Fakhar’s knock ended at 54 runs when Muhammad Irfan Khan’s direct hit caught him short of his crease. Abdullah Shafique and Shai Hope maintained the scoring pace until Zahid Mahmood’s double-wicket over shifted the momentum, dismissing Hope for 9 and Shaheen Shah Afridi for 1.
Abdullah reached his half-century before being caught by Anwar off Muzarabani’s bowling for 55. The lower-order contributions, particularly from David Wiese (24 not out) and Sikandar Raza (22 not out), propelled Lahore to their final total.
Karachi’s response was robust, with openers Tim Seifert and James Vince amassing 58 in the powerplay.
Vince’s aggressive 42 off 27 balls laid a solid foundation before being dismissed by Tayyab Abbas. Shan Masood and Kieron Pollard tried to build on the start, but Lahore’s bowlers, led by Sikandar Raza and Tayyab Abbas, kept the pressure on, picking up crucial middle-order wickets.
The chase intensified in the closing overs, with Karachi needing 65 off 34 balls.
Seifert’s run-out added to the tension, but Irfan Khan and Shoaib Malik’s partnership brought Karachi closer to the target.
Shaheen Afridi and Fakhar Zaman struck late, but Shoaib Malik’s boundary off the final ball sealed a memorable win for Karachi.
Lahore’s bowlers, especially Tayyab Abbas, who took two wickets, and the others who contributed, kept the match competitive till the end. However, it was Karachi’s determined chase that ultimately led to their thrilling victory.
Karachi Kings nail last-ball win over Lahore Qalandars, keep playoff hopes alive
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Karachi Kings nail last-ball win over Lahore Qalandars, keep playoff hopes alive
- Batting first, Lahore posted a competitive score of 177-5, with major contributions from Shafique and Zaman
- Karachi’s response was robust, with openers Tim Seifert and James Vince amassing 58 runs in the powerplay
Pakistan urges ‘time-bound and irreversible’ path to Palestinian statehood at UN
- Pakistan warns the Security Council Israeli settlement expansion has reached its highest level in the West Bank
- It says Islamabad backs sustained ceasefire, expanded humanitarian access, protection of UNRWA’s role in Gaza
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday called for a time-bound and irreversible political process leading to the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state, urging the international community to move beyond declarations and turn long-standing commitments into concrete action.
Addressing a Security Council briefing on the Middle East, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations said repeated diplomatic initiatives had underscored that the status quo was untenable and that only a credible political horizon, grounded in international law, could deliver durable peace.
His remarks came as the Security Council reviewed the implementation of Resolution 2334, which calls on Israel to halt settlement activity in occupied Palestinian territory.
Pakistan said recent diplomatic efforts — including a high-level conference in July and the General Assembly’s endorsement of the New York Declaration reaffirming the two-state framework — had sought to preserve the possibility of a negotiated settlement between Israelis and Palestinians.
It said follow-up meetings at Sharm El-Sheikh, along with US-led initiatives under President Donald Trump aimed at halting the fighting, were intended to reopen a political process toward Palestinian statehood.
“A time-bound and irreversible political process, anchored in relevant UN resolutions must lead to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and contiguous State of Palestine on the basis of pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad told the council.
“It is high time to turn promises into action and speed up this process,” he added.
Ahmad said Pakistan backed Security Council Resolution 2803, which calls for efforts to sustain the ceasefire, expand aid access and restart a political track toward Palestinian statehood.
He said settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, had reached its highest levels since the United Nations began systematic monitoring, citing UN findings that more than 6,300 housing units were advanced during the reporting period.
Such actions, he said, had “no legal validity” under international law but continued to undermine the viability of the two-state solution.
Pakistan also defended the role of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), saying it remained indispensable for Palestinian refugees and must not be weakened by what it called unfounded criticism.
Ahmad condemned the storming of UNRWA’s headquarters in East Jerusalem earlier this month, calling it a violation of international law and the inviolability of UN premises, and urged full, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza, along with the immediate start of reconstruction without annexation or forced displacement.
