ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Sohail Adnan defeated Egyptian opponent Moez Tamer Elmoghazy on Monday to win the final of the British Junior Open Squash Championship Under-13 category in Birmingham, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saying the entire Pakistani nation was proud of him.
Adnan demonstrated exceptional skill and won the final 3-2, with a final scoreline of 11-5, 5-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-5.
The championship kicked off in Birmingham on Jan. 2 and the event was held at the University of Birmingham Sport and Fitness, which features an all-glass show court.
Adnan stormed into the final after beating Egyptian Amr Moustafa 3-0 in the semifinal on Sunday.
“Sohail Adnan won an important squash championship for Pakistan after 18 years and made the country famous all over the world,” PM Sharif said in his message after Adnan’s win.
“Adnan’s victory reminded us of Pakistan’s brilliant achievements in the field of squash.”
Pakistan has always been counted among top squash-playing nations, and has introduced the world to legends like Jahangir Khan, Jansher Khan, Azam Khan and Qamar Zaman. Between themselves, Jansher Khan and Jahangir Khan won the World Squash Open title 14 times for Pakistan during the ‘80s and the ‘90s.
In Dec., Jansher Khan was inducted into the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Hall of Fame. A key part of the Pakistani dominance of the sport throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Jansher Khan won the World Championships eight times – a record in the men’s game – and also added six British Open titles to a glittering trophy haul. A World No.1 for 97 months throughout his career, Jansher’s final professional title count of 99 is the greatest of any player since records began.
Last month, Pakistani squash player Azan Ali Khan also clinched the Under-17 Scottish Junior Open Championship 2024 in Edinburgh after beating Switzerland’s Landro Wagle in the final.
Pakistan’s Sohail Adnan defeats Egypt’s Moez Elmoghazy to win British Junior Open Squash final
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Pakistan’s Sohail Adnan defeats Egypt’s Moez Elmoghazy to win British Junior Open Squash final
- Adnan demonstrated exceptional skill and won the final 3-2, with a scoreline of 11-5, 5-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-5
- PM Shehbaz Sharif says Adnan’s victory reminds them of Pakistan’s brilliant achievements in the field of squash
Pakistan drops 8,000 MW power procurement, claims $17 billion savings amid IMF-driven reforms
- Government says decision taken “on merit” as it seeks to cut losses, circular debt, ease consumer pressure
- Power minister says losses fell from $2.1 billion to $1.4 billion, circular debt dropped by $2.8 billion
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has abandoned plans to procure around 8,000 megawatts of expensive electricity, the power minister said on Sunday, adding that the decision was taken “purely on merit” and would save about $17 billion.
The power sector has long been a major source of Pakistan’s fiscal stress, driven by surplus generation capacity, costly contracts and mounting circular debt. Reforming electricity pricing, reducing losses and limiting new liabilities are central conditions under an ongoing $7 billion IMF program approved in 2024.
Pakistan has historically contracted more power generation than it consumes, forcing the government to make large capacity payments even for unused electricity. These obligations have contributed to rising tariffs, budgetary pressure and repeated IMF bailouts over the past two decades.
“The government has abandoned the procurement of around 8000 megawatts of expensive electricity purely on merit, which will likely to save 17 billion dollars,” Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari said while addressing a news conference in Islamabad, according to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan.
He said the federal government was also absorbing losses incurred by power distribution companies rather than passing them on to consumers.
The minister said the government’s reform drive was already showing results, with losses reduced from Rs586 billion ($2.1 billion) to Rs393 billion ($1.4 billion), while circular debt declined by Rs780 billion ($2.8 billion) last year. Recoveries, he added, had improved by Rs183 billion ($660 million).
Leghari said electricity tariffs had been reduced by 20 percent at the national level over the past two years and expressed confidence that prices would be aligned with international levels within the next 18 months.
Power sector reform has been one of the most politically sensitive elements of Pakistan’s IMF-backed adjustment program, with higher tariffs and tighter enforcement weighing on households and industry. The government says cutting losses, improving recoveries and avoiding costly new capacity are essential to stabilizing public finances and restoring investor confidence.
