ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday appointed Rana Sanaullah adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to a post on the Pakistan president’s official account on platform X.
Sanaullah is considered a close aide of PM Sharif’s elder brother, Nawaz Sharif, who is also a three-time former prime minister.
Sanaullah has previously served as the federal interior minister and provincial law minister for Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province.
“President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the appointment of Rana Sanaullah Khan as Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs,” read the post on President Zardari’s official social media account.
“The President approved the appointment of Rana Sanaullah Khan on the advice of the Prime Minister under Article 93 (a) of the Constitution.”
Sanaullah’s appointment comes two days after Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was named the country’s deputy prime minister. Dar, a 73-year-old chartered accountant, is another close Nawaz Sharif ally.
The elder Sharif, who returned to Pakistan in October 2023 after years of self-exile, was widely seen as the favorite candidate for the prime minister’s office ahead of the February 8 national polls, and was believed to be backed by the country’s powerful army.
However, the three-time former prime minister decided against taking the PM’s office after the elections failed to produce a clear winner, leading to speculation that his role in the country’s politics had come to an end.
Analysts widely believe that the recent appointments of Dar and Sanaullah indicate Nawaz Sharif is attempting to assert control over the government through indirect means.
Rana Sanaullah, another Nawaz Sharif loyalist, appointed adviser to Pakistan PM
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Rana Sanaullah, another Nawaz Sharif loyalist, appointed adviser to Pakistan PM
- Sanaullah’s appointment comes two days after foreign minister Ishaq Dar was named deputy prime minister
- Analysts believe the appointments indicate Nawaz Sharif is trying to assert indirect control over the government
T20 World Cup: Pakistan’s India boycott splits fans as politics overshadows cricket
- The boycott has dealt a blow to the ICC’s marquee event, with India-Pakistan matches the biggest drivers of global viewership, revenue
- On the streets, many Pakistani fans back the boycott as a response to what they see as India’s growing influence over cricket governance
KARACHI: Pakistan’s decision to boycott its Twenty20 World Cup match against India has drawn widespread support from fans and administrators who hailed the move as a long-overdue stand in a rivalry in which sport and geopolitics have collided.
The government on Sunday cleared Pakistan to take part in the tournament beginning February 7 but barred the team from playing India in a February 15 group match in Colombo, a decision the International Cricket Council (ICC) said was not in the interests of the global game.
The boycott deepened a long freeze in bilateral cricket between the nuclear-armed neighbors — who have not played a full series since 2012–13 and now meet largely at neutral venues — and dealt a blow to the ICC’s marquee event, with India-Pakistan matches the biggest drivers of global viewership and revenue.
’ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’
For many in Pakistan, however, the boycott was less about cricketing issues, with Pakistan forfeiting two points by skipping the match, and more about symbolism.
“Enough is enough,” former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi told Reuters, accusing India’s board of politicizing the ICC. “It’s time to challenge this duplicitous approach by exercising PCB’s options in alliance with Bangladesh.”
The Indian government, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council did not respond to requests for comment.
The ICC said it was still awaiting an official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) conveying their “position of selective participation.”
“While the ICC respects the roles of governments in matters of national policy, this decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan,” the Dubai-based body said in a statement on Sunday.
The government has not publicly detailed its reasoning, but Mosharraf Zaidi, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, linked the move to security tensions with India.
“Nothing is more important than the memory of Pakistani citizens and troops murdered by Indian proxy terrorists over the weekend,” Zaidi said. “With funerals taking place today, this was the least that could be done.”
The remarks followed coordinated attacks by Baloch separatist militants across Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province over the weekend that killed nearly 50 people.
India’s foreign ministry rejected Pakistan’s accusations, calling them “baseless” and accusing Islamabad of deflecting attention from its own internal issues.
Pakistan’s World Cup jersey has been branded the “Markhor Edition,” after the national animal, a symbol of resilience also used in military iconography, Geo TV reported.
’LET CRICKET JUST BE A GAME’
On the streets of Pakistan’s major cities, many cricket fans backed the boycott as a response to what they see as India’s growing influence over global cricket governance.
“This arrogance of India should be broken a little,” said Mohammad Asghar, a fan in Karachi. “They should realize someone has come forward to challenge them.”
Others drew parallels with Bangladesh’s earlier withdrawal from the tournament over safety concerns, a move that led to Scotland replacing them, and questioned why Pakistan should be held to a different standard.
“If Bangladesh can boycott for one player’s safety, why can’t Pakistan take a stand?” said Ayaz Ahmed.
The decision also sparked heated debate on social media, with users divided between calls for “self-respect” and warnings that skipping the match could further isolate Pakistan in global cricket.
Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi agreed.
“Cricket can open doors when politics closes them,” he wrote on X. “It’s regrettable that Pakistan won’t play India, but this is the moment for the ICC to prove it is impartial.”
