ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday said it was moving remaining matches of the Pakistan Super League to the United Arab Emirates while the Indian Premier League was separately suspended for one week in the wake of the ongoing conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
Tensions between the rivals have escalated since Wednesday when India conducted strikes on multiple locations in Pakistan in response to a deadly attack targeting tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 that New Delhi blames on its neighbor. Islamabad has denied any complicity in the attack.
Pakistan said it had shot down five Indian fighter jets in retaliation to strikes by India and downed 77 drones launched from India. One of the drones was shot down in the city of Rawalpindi, near a cricket stadium where PSL matches were being held.
Officials have confirmed the killing of nearly 50 people on both sides since Wednesday in the worst violence in decades between the neighbors.
“The PCB has always stood by the position that politics and sports need to be kept apart,” PCB Chair Mohsin Naqvi said as he announced that the remaining eight fixtures of this year’s PSL, previously scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi, Multan and Lahore, would now be staged in the UAE.
“I regret that our domestic audience and cricket lovers will not be able to watch these matches in Pakistan’s stadiums,” Naqvi added.
Separately, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said it had decided to suspend the remainder of the ongoing IPL 2025 with immediate effect for one week.
The IPL governing council consulted the franchises and players and “considered it prudent to act in the collective interest of all stakeholders,” secretary Devajit Saikia said in a statement on Friday.
“While cricket remains a national passion, there is nothing greater than the nation and its sovereignty, integrity, and security of our country … The BCCI remains firmly committed to support all efforts that safeguard India and will always align its decisions in the best interest of the nation.”
Friday’s IPL match in Dharamsala was abandoned midway through, with organizers citing a power outage, while Sunday’s game at the same north Indian city was shifted to Ahmedabad because of the border tensions.
With inputs from Reuters
India suspends IPL for a week, Pakistan moves T20 league to UAE amid conflict
https://arab.news/wcbxa
India suspends IPL for a week, Pakistan moves T20 league to UAE amid conflict
- Remaining eight fixtures of PSL, scheduled for Rawalpindi, Multan and Lahore, would now be staged in UAE
- BCCI says it had decided to suspend remainder of the ongoing IPL 2025 with immediate effect for one week
Pakistan, UK sign £35 million Green Compact to strengthen climate resilience
- Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns
- UK will help Pakistan mobilize climate finance, strengthen regulatory frameworks and develop bankable climate projects
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Kingdom (UK) have formalized a comprehensive climate partnership with the launch of a Green Compact that aims to enhance climate resilience, accelerate clean energy transition and scale up nature-based solutions, including mangrove conservation, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.
The agreement, signed in Islamabad by Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr. Musadik Malik and UK Minister for International Development Jennifer Chapman, unlocks £35 million in targeted support for green development and long-term climate action, according to Radio Pakistan broadcaster.
Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns that have led to frequent heatwaves, untimely rains, storms, cyclones, floods and droughts in recent years. In 2022, monsoon floods killed over 1,700 people, displaced another 33 million and caused over $30 billion losses, while another 1,037 people were killed in floods this year.
Mohammad Saleem Shaikh, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change, described the compact as a “decisive move toward action-oriented climate cooperation,” noting that its implementation over the next decade will be critical for Pakistan which regularly faces floods, heatwaves and water stress.
“The Compact is structured around five core pillars: climate finance and investment, clean energy transition, nature-based solutions, innovation and youth empowerment, and adaptation and resilience,” the report read.
“Under the agreement, the UK will work with Pakistan to mobilize public and private climate finance, strengthen regulatory frameworks for green investment, and develop bankable climate projects.”
Clean energy forms a central component of Pakistan’s transition, with Islamabad planning to expand solar and wind generation to reduce fossil fuel dependence, improve energy security and stabilize power costs, according to Shaikh.
“Renewable energy is now economically competitive, making the transition both environmentally and financially viable,” he was quoted as saying.
“Nature-based solutions, particularly large-scale mangrove restoration, will protect coastal communities from storm surges and erosion while enhancing biodiversity and carbon sequestration.”
Under the Compact, technical support, mentoring and access to investors will be provided to climate-smart startups and young innovators, reflecting Pakistan’s recognition of youth-led initiatives as central to future climate solutions.
On the occasion, Chapman, on her first official visit to Pakistan, underscored the urgency of climate action, highlighting the UK’s support for renewable energy, mangrove and ecosystem restoration, early-warning systems, climate budgeting and international investment flows into Pakistan.
Shaikh described the Green Compact as “a strategic turning point” in Pakistan–UK relations on climate change, saying its effective implementation is essential for Pakistan to meet its national climate targets.
