ISLAMABAD: Pakistan beat hosts United Arab Emirates 12-1 to clinch the United Arab Classic Baseball championship this week, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Monday, with the South Asian team taking home the trophy by remaining undefeated throughout the tournament.
Baseball United Arab Classic, organized by Baseball United--a professional baseball organization in the Middle East and South Asia--took place from Nov. 7-10 in the UAE. The tournament featured Pakistan, UAE, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia and Nepal.
Pakistan qualified for the final on Sunday after thrashing Afghanistan 17-3 on Saturday. Before that, the South Asian team had beaten India 12-0 and UAE 10-3. Pakistan had also defeated Bangladesh 10-0 on Nov. 7.
“Pakistan have won the United Arab Classic Baseball championship held in the United Arab Emirates,” Radio Pakistan said. “Pakistan beat UAE team in the final by 12-1.”
Pakistan’s official baseball body, Pakistan Federation Baseball, is internationally recognized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. Pakistan Federation Baseball was founded by Syed Khawar Shah in 1992 and has grown into the preeminent baseball federation within South Asia over the last three decades.
Prior to this, Pakistan baseball won 10 championships in tournaments across Asia over the last 15 years, including the West Asia Cup in Islamabad in January 2023.
Pakistan beat UAE to clinch United Arab Classic Baseball championship
https://arab.news/r83fh
Pakistan beat UAE to clinch United Arab Classic Baseball championship
- Tournament featured Palestine, UAE, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia and Nepal
- Pakistan remained unbeaten throughout tournament, thrashing Afghanistan 17-3, India 12-0 and Bangladesh 10-0
Pakistan launches privatization process for five power distributors under IMF reforms
- Power-sector losses have pushed circular debt above $9 billion, official documents show
- Move is tied to IMF and World Bank conditions aimed at cutting subsidies and fiscal risk
KARACHI: Pakistan has appointed financial advisers and launched sell-side due diligence for the privatization of five electricity distribution companies, marking a long-awaited step in power-sector reforms tied to International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank programs, according to official documents shared with media on Monday.
The five companies, namely Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO), Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO), Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO), Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO), supply electricity to tens of millions of customers and have long been a major source of financial losses for the state.
Pakistan’s power sector has accumulated more than Rs2.6 trillion (about $9.3 billion) in circular debt as of mid-2025, driven largely by distribution losses, electricity theft and weak bill recovery, according to official government data cited in the documents. The shortfall has repeatedly forced the government to provide subsidies, adding pressure to public finances in an economy under IMF supervision.
“The objective is to reduce losses, improve efficiency and limit the government’s fiscal exposure by transferring electricity distribution operations to the private sector,” the documents said, adding that sell-side due diligence for five distribution companies is under way as a prerequisite for investor engagement.
Two utilities, the Quetta Electric Supply Company and Tribal Areas Electric Supply Company, are excluded from the current privatization phase due to security and structural constraints, the documents said.
Power-sector reform is a central pillar of Pakistan’s IMF bailout program, under which Islamabad has committed to restructuring state-owned enterprises, improving governance and reducing budgetary support. The World Bank has also linked future energy-sector financing to progress on structural reforms.
Electricity distribution companies in Pakistan routinely report losses exceeding 20 percent of supplied power, far above international benchmarks, according to official figures. These inefficiencies have been a persistent obstacle to economic growth, investment and reliable power supply.
Previous attempts to privatize power distributors have stalled amid political resistance, labor union opposition and concerns over tariff increases. While officials have not announced a timeline for completing transactions, the launch of due diligence marks the most concrete step taken in years. International lenders and investors will now be closely watching whether Pakistan can translate this phase into completed sales, a key test of its ability to deliver on IMF-backed reforms.
In a related development in Pakistan’s privatization agenda, the government last month concluded the long-delayed sale of a 75 percent stake in national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in a publicly televised auction. A consortium led by the Arif Habib Group emerged as the highest bidder with a Rs135 billion ($482 million) offer for the controlling stake, in a transaction officials have said will end decades of state-funded bailouts and inject fresh capital into the loss-making airline.
