Pakistan is all set to clash with arch-rivals India in the much anticipated match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in New York. Although there is a slight chance of light rain or drizzle in the evening, it is unlikely to affect the match which starts at 10:30 am local time.
Rainfall is expected to be minimal with only 0.5mm of rain. Humidity will be 44% with 69% cloud cover while there is a 40% chance of rain.
The match is scheduled on June 9 at 7:30 pm (Pakistan Standard Time).
On June 8, acting Governor Punjab Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan signed the highly controversial Punjab Defamation Bill, 2024 into law, Geo News reports.
The bill has invited strong criticism from journalists, human rights organisations, and the opposition calling it a “black law.” However, it was passed into a law today disregarding all concerns and opposition.
Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari slammed the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) deceptive attitude, stating that the party deceived journalists.
“The bill was signed by the acting governor by sending the Punjab governor on leave under a plan,” said Ansari.
He also said that the PPP was apparently showing support to journalists and even assured that it wouldn’t be passed into law but in reality, it was in cahoots with the provincial government.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also expressed grave concern over the defamation bill.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has alleged a “deliberate delay in the provision of justice” to sentence former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, as the Iddat case has been transferred to different court on the request of Judge Shahrukh Arjumand.
PTI’s core committee issued the statement on Friday
, after an internal meeting, regarding trials against Khan and his wife.
According to the statement issued by the core committee, Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi need to be immediately released from Adiala jail. The statement adds that delaying tactics are being used to prolong the case.
The former ruling party hopes that “false, baseless, and unfounded cases” will soon be declared null and void.
Veteran actor Aurangzeb Laghari, who received the Pride of Performance award for contributing to Pakistan’s entertainment industry, revealed in a recent interview that he had to change careers because of the severe lack of acting opportunities. Multiple news outlets reported that Laghari has opened a furniture showroom in Lahore.
In response to this news, Actor Yasir Hussain, took to social media to highlight the diminishing opportunities for drama actors who do not live in Karachi.
The ‘Karachi Se Lahore’ actor shared his disappointment on Instagram. He reposted the news and wrote, “All the dramas are made in Karachi, and they don’t invite anyone from Lahore to join. PTV used to give work to people from all cities, but now they don’t.” He also criticised the channel for not producing good-quality dramas. “PTV hasn’t made a good drama in the last 20 years. It’s such a shame. Where are shows like ‘Tanhaiyaan,’ ‘Dhuwan,’ ‘Aangan Terha,’ ‘Waris,’ ‘Angar Wadi,’ and ‘Guest House’?”
In the same interview where Aurangzeb Laghari revealed his new career, he also confirmed that he hasn’t found acting work because the industry has moved to Karachi. “All the main offices for channels are in Karachi. There is little work in Lahore, so I work very little,” said the actor. He added, “I feel like Punjabis aren’t given the same encouragement because we aren’t in the same city.”
The Pakistan team will not get practice at Nassau County Stadium before the match against India.
The team will conduct the only practice session at Contiag Park before the match. The practice session will start Saturday night at 9:30 pm Pakistan time.
The team reached New York from Dallas on Thursday night, after which the team rested on Friday.
The T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and India will be held in New York on June 9, after which the Pakistan team will face Canada on June 11 in New York.
Afghanistan pulled off another upset in the 14th match of the T20 World Cup, bowling out New Zealand for 75 runs in defense of 160 runs.
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bowl first against Afghanistan.
First inning:
Ibrahim Zadran played an innings of 44 runs off 41 balls while Rahmanullah Garbaz scored 80 runs off 56 balls with the help of 5 sixes and 5 fours and got out in the last over of the inning.
Afghanistan’s first wicket fell for 103 runs in the 14th over when Ibrahim Zadran was bowled by Matt Henry.
The second player to get out was Azmatullah Umarzai, he scored 22 runs off 13 balls, Mohammad Nabi, who came after him, went back to the pavilion without opening his account, captain Rashid Khan was run out on the score of 6.
The Afghan team scored 159 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in the alloted 20 overs.
For New Zealand, Trent Boult and Matt Henry took 2, 2 wickets while Ferguson managed to get one wicket.
Second inning:
In pursuit of Afghanistan’s target of 160 runs, New Zealand opener Finn Allen was dismissed for no runs by Fazl Haq Farooqui.
Apart from this New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips scored 18 runs, Matt Henry scored 10 runs, while none of the remaining batsmen got into double figures.
Fazal Haq took and Rashid Khan took four wickets each while Mohammad Nabi got 2 wickets.
A complaint has been filed against British Pakistani Zubair Yousaf over accusations of assaulting wife to the extent that it led to the death of their unborn child.
Dubai police are looking for Yousaf, who is currently living in Dubai, who allegedly fled his apartment after beating up his wife, Gulraz Anjam.
Yousaf assaulted his wife, Gulraz, in April 2024 when she questioned him about his relationship with another woman and the lack of financial support. This enraged Zubair, and he severely beat her for nearly 30 minutes. He strangled her, dragged her on the floor, and made her drink dirty water, as per the complaint.
“I lost our unborn child aged five months as a result of the assault. My husband Zubair Yousaf assaulted me with the intention to abort our baby,” she stated in the complaint. She asked the Dubai police to arrest him and prosecute him according to local laws.
The complaint also lays out details of Zubair’s past, which is marked by criminal activities, including allegedly having ties with terrorist groups and the underworld.
“Yousaf engaged in various fraudulent schemes, including using fake IDs to secure bank loans and purchase properties in the UK,” Gulraz shared with the UAE police, adding details of various frauds that prompted the UK police to start an investigation against him. This prompted Zubair to flee the UK, and then he stayed in Pakistan for nine years, taking advantage of the statute of limitations on civil suits in the UK.
Gulraz, in her complaint, also alleged that she has evidence that during his stay in Pakistan, Yousaf developed connections with terrorist organizations like Daesh and Taliban militants and raised funds for them. According to her, he became so involved with the extremist militant groups that an intelligence agency in Pakistan took him into custody and questioned him.
“He was involved in money-laundering, banking fraud, forgery, violence, mortgage fraud and manipulation of the then lax banking system of the UK. He literally stole millions from the UK banks,” Gulraz has shared a hefty file containing accounts of his criminal activities with the Dubai police.
Police in Rawalpindi and Islamabad have confirmed that Yousaf is on their wanted list for various crimes and that he fled to Dubai when they tried to arrest him.
The Dubai police’s initial investigation revealed that she is a British national and one of Yousaf’s many wives.
Yousaf has a history of marrying women, according to Gulraz. According to records, he has married eight women and has fathered between 10-12 children from his marriages. He abandoned all the wives and maintains marital relations with three at this time.
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is scheduled to convene on Monday, June 10, to deliberate on the nation’s monetary policy. This crucial meeting will be closely watched by market participants and economic analysts.
Following the MPC meeting, the SBP is expected to release its monetary policy statement via a press release later the same day.
In the most recent MPC meeting held on April 29, the committee opted to maintain the interest rates at a historic high of 22 per cent, marking the seventh consecutive meeting where rates remained unchanged.
Speculation is rife among market analysts that the SBP may reduce its policy rate by 100 basis points (bps). If this anticipated reduction materialises, it would be the first rate cut in nearly four years, signalling a potential shift in the SBP’s approach after an extended period of stringent measures aimed at combating rampant inflation.
The MPC’s decision is set to precede the announcement of the federal budget for 2024-25, adding further significance to Monday’s meeting.
A potential rate cut could indicate a strategic move to stimulate economic growth and provide relief to businesses and consumers alike in the run-up to the new fiscal year.
In May, overseas workers’ remittances soared by 54.2 per cent compared to the same period last year, reaching $3.24 billion, according to the latest data from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
This significant increase from $2.1 billion in May last year indicates a substantial boost in remittances.
Month-on-month, there was a notable 15.3 per cent increase in remittances, totaling $2.81 billion in the previous month.
Cumulatively, in the 11 months of the fiscal year 2023-24, total remittances amounted to $27.09 billion, showing a 7.75 per cent increase from $25.15 billion received in the same period last fiscal year.
Saudi Arabia retained its position as the leading contributor, with remittances amounting to $819.28 million, marking a 56.4 per cent increase from the previous year. The UAE followed closely, with remittances of $668.48 million, showing a staggering 99.0 per cent year-on-year increase.
Remittances from Pakistani workers in the UK surged to $473.22 million, a significant 54.4 per cent increase from the same month last year. Meanwhile, inflows from the USA amounted to $359.55 million, up by 39.8 per cent year-on-year.
Additionally, remittances from Pakistanis working in EU countries witnessed a substantial 36.4 per cent year-on-year increase, reaching $339.99 million, according to the data provided by SBP.
The Weekly Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the Combined Group witnessed a 0.45 per cent increase week over week (WoW) during the week ending June 6, 2024.
This surge marks a significant 21.69 per cent rise YoY compared to the corresponding period last year, as per data unveiled by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The Combined Index stood at 309.91, showcasing a slight uptick from 308.52 the previous week, and a notable increase from 254.67 recorded a year ago.
Among the 51 items monitored, the week saw prices of 19 items (37.26 per cent) soar, 14 items (27.45 per cent) witness a decline, while prices of 18 items (35.29 per cent) remained stable. Notable increases were observed in the prices of Onions (33.21 per cent), Tomatoes (15.34 per cent), Bananas (4.93 per cent), Pulse Gram (3.69 per cent), and Potatoes (2.62 per cent).
Conversely, significant decreases were noted in the prices of Bread (3.02 per cent), Garlic (2.00 per cent), Wheat (-1.99 per cent), Petrol (1.74 per cent), and Pulse Masoor (1.43 per cent).
The weekly SPI percentage change across income groups revealed a universal uptick, ranging between 0.33 per cent and 0.81 per cent. The lowest income group experienced the steepest weekly rise of 0.81 per cent, contrasting with a 0.33 per cent rise in the highest income group.
On an annual basis, analysis of SPI changes across income segments indicated a consistent increase, ranging from 15.26 per cent to 25.04 per cent. Yearly SPI for the Lowest Income Group surged by 15.26 per cent, while the highest income group recorded a 19.45 per cent increase.
In terms of specific commodities, the average price of Sona urea stood at Rs4,746 per 50 kg bag, marking a marginal 1.04 per cent decline from the previous week, yet reflecting a substantial 56.01 per cent increase compared to last year’s prices.
Meanwhile, the average Cement price reached Rs1,255 per 50 kg bag, showing a 1.40 per cent increase from the prior week and a noteworthy 9.82 per cent surge compared to last year’s prices.