DUBAI: Pakistan captain Fatima Sana flew back home after the death of her father ahead of the team’s group clash against Australia in the Women’s T20 World Cup on Friday.
Wicketkeeper Muneeba Ali stood in to lead the team in their Group A match as they sought a win to stay in line for a berth in the semifinals.
“It’s a sad news, but these things are not under our control,” stand-in-skipper Ali said at the toss in Dubai. “We will miss her.”
Bowling all-rounder Sana, the youngest captain at the World Cup at 22, top-scored with 30 and took two wickets in their opening win over Sri Lanka.
Pakistan went down to arch-rivals India in their second group match but remain in the hunt to make the final-four from their group, where the top two teams will advance.
Pakistan women’s captain Sana back home after father’s death
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Pakistan women’s captain Sana back home after father’s death
- All-rounder Sana, the youngest captain at World Cup at 22, top-scored with 30 and took two wickets in opening win over Sri Lanka
- Pakistan went down to arch-rivals India in their second group match but remain in the hunt to make the final-four from their group
Pakistan to send over 10,000 workers to Italy over three years after securing employment quota
- Government says Italy will admit 3,500 workers annually under seasonal and non-seasonal labor schemes
- It calls the deal a 'milestone' as Italy becomes the first European country to allocate job quota for Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has secured a quota of 10,500 jobs from Italy over the next three years, an official statement said on Saturday, opening legal employment pathways for Pakistani workers in Europe under Italy’s seasonal and non-seasonal labor programs.
Under the arrangement, 3,500 Pakistani workers will be employed in Italy each year, including 1,500 seasonal workers hired for time-bound roles, and 2,000 non-seasonal workers for longer-term employment across sectors.
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development said Italy is the first European country to allocate a dedicated labor quota to Pakistan, describing the move as a milestone in Pakistan’s efforts to expand overseas employment opportunities beyond traditional labor markets in the Middle East.
“After prolonged efforts, doors to employment for the Pakistani workforce in Italy are about to open,” Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain said, calling the quota allocation a “historic milestone.”
The jobs will be available across multiple sectors, including shipbreaking, hospitality, healthcare and agriculture, with opportunities for skilled and semi-skilled workers in professions such as welding, technical trades, food services, housekeeping, nursing, medical technology and farming.
The agreement comes as Pakistan seeks to diversify overseas employment destinations for its workforce and increase remittance inflows, which remain a key source of foreign exchange for the country’s economy.
The ministry said a second meeting of the Pakistan-Italy Joint Working Group on labor cooperation is scheduled to be held in Islamabad in February 2026, where implementation and future cooperation are expected to be discussed.
