PESHAWAR: At least one person died and several others, including two police officers, were injured in a violent clash during a cricket league final in Pakistan’s northwestern Bajaur tribal district amid high political tension on Friday, police confirmed to Arab News.
The brawl erupted when spectators at the Bajaur Cricket League (BCL) began chanting rival slogans in a packed stadium of over 20,000 people.
The incident occurred as Team 804, named after the prisoner identification number assigned to former Prime Minister Imran Khan following his arrest in August last year, faced off against Salarzai Zalmi in Khar.
Both teams were backed by local politicians from opposing camps, sparking an outcry from fans when, according to local media reports, a player from Team 804 was declared out by the umpire.
“Over 20,000 spectators were present in the ground who chanted political slogans against each other, which triggered the clash,” Bajaur Police Spokesperson Muhammad Israr told Arab News over the phone. “One person died of a heart attack during the incident, and while many sustained minor injuries, only a few required hospital treatment.”
Local news channels broadcast footage showing chaotic scenes of fighting on the field, with some people injured in the scuffle. As the violence intensified, fans used cricket bats and pipes to attack each other.
Local media reported the man who died had also sustained injuries and could not survive.
The police official said his department was gathering evidence and would lodge a report of the incident afterward.
“Two deputy superintendents of police were slightly injured and given first aid on site,” he added.
Cricket is a national passion in Pakistan, often fueling strong emotions among fans while their teams compete.
The incident in Bajaur, a restive region that has seen militant violence in the past, reflected how easily sports and politics can blend in the country to create a combustible mix.
One dead, several injured as political chants start clash at Pakistan cricket match
https://arab.news/byg6r
One dead, several injured as political chants start clash at Pakistan cricket match
- Incident led to chaotic scenes of fighting on the field, as fans used bats, pipes to attack each other
- Police say two of its senior officials were also injured during the brawl and given first aid on site
Pakistan arrests suspect arriving from Cambodia amid crackdown on human smuggling
- Suspect worked at an “online fraud company” in Cambodia, later started smuggling people from Pakistan, says FIA
- Pakistan has intensified crackdown against human smugglers after hundreds of migrants drowned near Pylos in 2023
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Sunday said it had arrested a key suspect involved in smuggling humans who had arrived from Cambodia, alleging he was also part of an international fraud network.
The suspect, identified as Zainullah, was arrested by FIA officials when he arrived in the southern port city of Karachi from Cambodia.
Zainullah had traveled from Pakistan to Cambodia in September 2024, a press release issued by the agency said.
“He worked at an online fraud company in Cambodia and later became involved as an agent in recruiting individuals from Pakistan,” the FIA said.
The FIA said it recovered images of multiple individuals’ passports, payment receipts and bank transaction records after extracting data from Zainullah’s phone.
It said the suspect received money through personal bank accounts and a cryptocurrency account.
“The suspect has been handed over to the FIA Anti-Human Trafficking Circle, Karachi, for further legal proceedings,” the FIA said.
“Further investigation is underway.”
Pakistan intensified action against illegal migration in 2023 after hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel sank off the Greek town of Pylos, one of the deadliest boat disasters in the Mediterranean.
Authorities say they continue to target networks sending citizens abroad through dangerous routes, following heightened scrutiny at airports and a series of arrests involving forged documents.
Pakistan’s interior ministry said this week illegal migration to Europe has declined by 47 percent this year after its nationwide crackdown, saying that more than 1,700 human smugglers have been arrested in 2025.
