Blog

  • Three new foreign coaches appointed for Pakistan cricket team

    Three new foreign coaches appointed for Pakistan cricket team

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the names of the Pakistan team management and coaching staff for the tour of Australia, after Mickey Arthur and his team departed following a dismal World Cup tour.

    The PCB has appointed three foreign coaches for the tour of Australia, namely, Adam Hollioake as Batting Coach, Simon Grant Helmot as High-Performance Coach, and Drikus Saaiman as strength and conditioning coach/Trainer.

    The Pakistan cricket team will leave for Down Under on November 30, where they will play a three-match test series. The first Test between Pakistan and Australia will be played in Perth from December 14 to 18. The second Test will be played in Melbourne from December 26 to 30, while Sydney will host the third Test from January 3 to 7.

  • On this day: International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

    On this day: International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

    November 29 is the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, observed by the United Nations every year.

    On this day, back in 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution known as the Partition Resolution (Resolution 181), calling for the establishment of an Arab state and a Jewish state with Jerusalem as a separate body under a special international regime.

    This, however, never became a reality and only Israel was created as a free entity.

    Israel took over East Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967 even though the Old City under the occupation is religiously significant for Muslims, Christians alongside Jews. While Israel has declared the annexation of East Jerusalem in 1980, the international community deems it an occupied territory to-date whereas Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of the state they are fighting for.

    In 1977, on November 29, the UN General Assembly adopted an official observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

  • Amir and Imad refused to play for Pakistan, claims Muhammad Hafeez

    Amir and Imad refused to play for Pakistan, claims Muhammad Hafeez

    Pakistan cricket team’s Director, former batsman Muhammad Hafeez, has revealed that he personally called fast bowlers Muhammad Amir and Imad Wasim but both refused to play for Pakistan again.

    “The first priority of centrally contracted players is availability for the country, Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir were also contacted but they were not available,” Hafeez said in press conference.

    He stated that Imad Wasim had not signed the central contract, so Hafeez called him and told him, “You are in our plan and we want you to represent Pakistan. He took time and replied two days later that he was not available for the tour of New Zealand, while two days after this message he announced his retirement from international cricket.”

    Hafeez then elaborated that he called fast bowler. Muhammad Amir and said that he wants to play for Pakistan, he should withdraw his retirement and play domestically and join the team after performing well. “I told Amir that you would be given equal opportunities, to which he refused and replied that I have moved on in life and think it is better to play international leagues instead of Pakistan team. Everyone including Ahmed Shahzad and Mohammad Zahid both are in our mind, everyone should wait for their turn in a positive manner, everyone will get a chance, no injustice will be done to anyone. I understand everything, I will definitely respond to criticism.”

    Calling the Australia tour “challenging”, Hafeez stressed that the team is ready for it. “Players will give the best results in Australia. All are eager to give a good performance, a clear mindset will bring better results,” he observed.

    He said that the job of the team director is to make a plan and the support staff to follow it, there is no need for a head coach in this setup.

  • Senior media manager quits PCB; joins Multan Sultans

    Senior media manager quits PCB; joins Multan Sultans

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) media manager Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi resigned from his position and has joined the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans.

    Ahsan shared a post on X (former Twitter) on Tuesday stating, “After working at the Pakistan Cricket Board for around 4.5 years, I have decided to move on. It has been an incredible journey, which provided me fabulous opportunities to witness how the game actually works, learn tricks of the trade by being right in the middle of the storm, and witness some historic and iconic developments.

    Getting to don the star has been a great honour and privilege for me. As it is the case in the role I worked in, I have had good and some not-so- good days. The high-pressure environments and last-minute crisis made the job super exciting, and I always made sure to deliver with dignity, integrity and by upholding the moral values which I hold dear to me.
    This note would be incomplete if I do not thank my colleagues at the board and the subsequent Pakistan teams – both men’s and women’s. They really turned this into a wonderful experience”.

    Ahsan has now joined Multan Sultans as the Head of Media and Communications.

    It is pertinent to mention that earlier during the World Cup 2023, Muhammad Rizwan dedicated the win against Sri Lanka to the victims in Gaza that stirred debate. Former cricketer Rashid Latif claims Rizwan faced pressure from authorities to delete the tweet which he refused to do leading to the dismissal of Media Manager Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi, who was replaced by Umer Kalson. Kalson, the incoming media manager following Nagi’s departure, was already under investigation for his visit to a casino during an official trip to Colombo.

  • Honda unveils its first electric bike in Pakistan 

    Honda unveils its first electric bike in Pakistan 

    Atlas Honda has revealed its first electric motorcycle, the Honda ‘BENLY e’, during a ceremony at the Sheikhupura plant to mark the company’s 60th year of operation in Pakistan. 

    Although the company did not specify the rollout date, Noriaki Abe, Chief Officer of Motorcycle and Power Products at Atlas Honda, announced that the Honda BENLY e will undergo test marketing. 

    The launch event emphasised the company’s commitment to delivering quality products based on market feedback. 

    Abe highlighted the integral role Honda products play in the daily lives of many Pakistanis, noting the significant contributions of the joint venture between Atlas Group and Honda Motor Company since 1963. 

    Meanwhile, Shinji Aoyama, Executive Vice President and COO of Honda Motor Company, expressed Honda’s readiness for the evolving mobility industry. 

    Saquib H. Shirazi, President and CEO of Atlas Honda, shared insights into the company’s achievements, including a 95 per cent localisation of its product line and the development of an extensive network of local auto parts manufacturers and dealers, generating employment for over 150,000 individuals. 

    Despite challenges in the motorcycle industry, such as a 5 per cent month-on-month and 11 per cent year-on-year decline in sales in October, Atlas Honda Limited reported a remarkable 152 per cent increase in net profit for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2023–24. 

    The growth was attributed to robust sales and additional income. Overall, motorcycle sales for the first four months of the fiscal year experienced a 10 per cent year-on-year decline to 371,000 units, influenced by higher bike prices and reduced consumer purchasing power. 

  • Climate crises drove 27 million children into hunger in 2022

    Climate crises drove 27 million children into hunger in 2022

    Extreme weather events in countries vulnerable to climate change drove more than 27 million children into hunger last year, Save the Children said on Tuesday.

    The figure represented a sharp 135 percent increase over 2021, the UK-based charity said in an analysis ahead of the COP28 climate summit opening in Dubai on Thursday.

    It said children made up nearly half the 57 million people pushed into crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse across 12 countries because of extreme weather in 2022, according to data from the IPC hunger monitoring system.

    Out of the 12, countries in the Horn of Africa were most affected, with Ethiopia and Somalia accounting for about half of the 27 million children facing hunger, Save said.

    “As climate-related weather events become more frequent and severe, we will see more drastic consequences on children’s lives,” Save’s CEO Inger Ashing said in a statement.

    The charity called on leaders meeting at COP28 in Dubai to take action on the climate crisis by recognising children as “key agents of change” but more broadly to address other causes of food insecurity such as conflict and weak health systems.

    Save highlighted the situation in Somalia, which is considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, locked in a vicious cycle of drought and floods.

    It said the recent torrential rains and flooding that have engulfed many parts of the country had displaced about 650,000 people, about half of them children.

    Elsewhere, Save noted that two million children in Pakistan remained acutely malnourished after floods that swamped a third of the country last year.

    Across the planet, Save estimated that 774 million children -– or one third of the global child population — are living with the dual impacts of poverty and high climate risk.

    In a report issued last week, Save said that more than 17.6 million children will be born into hunger this year, one-fifth more than a decade ago.

  • Pakistani rupee predicted to decline to Rs350 against US dollar in 2024

    Pakistani rupee predicted to decline to Rs350 against US dollar in 2024

    According to BMI, a Fitch Solutions Company, the Pakistani rupee is expected to depreciate to as low as Rs350 against the US dollar by the end of 2024. Similarly, Topline Securities Ltd., a brokerage firm, predicts a fall to Rs324. 

    Despite government efforts to combat smuggling and speculation, the local currency has already experienced a 20 per cent devaluation against the dollar, with analysts predicting a continued decline, as reported by Bloomberg. 

    John Ashbourne, a global economist at BMI in London, remarked, “This appears to be a currency that is set to adjust downwards.” 

    “It will be very hard in the long term to convince people to use the official rate if parallel markets offer more value for a dollar,” added Ashbourne. 

    He further stated, “The authorities can push against the tide for a certain amount of time, but they are not able to do that sustainably.” 

    As of Tuesday, the local unit closed at Rs285.52 against the dollar in the interbank market. 

    According to experts, Pakistan’s currency is poised to conclude 2023 as Asia’s worst-performing country in terms of currency performance. 

    In a temporary recovery effort in September, when the rupee was at a record low of Rs300, the caretaker set-up initiated aggressive measures against the illegal purchase and sale of the greenback at a premium exchange rate. 

    However, experts caution that this recovery is expected to be short-lived. 

  • Saudi Arabia lifts age limit, restores pre-COVID Hajj quota for Pakistani pilgrims 

    Saudi Arabia has granted approval to Pakistan’s request, ensuring equal quotas for all private Hajj tour operators during the upcoming pilgrimage scheduled to take place between June 26 and July 1, 2024.

    Saudi Arabia has reinstated Pakistan’s pre-coronavirus Hajj quota, allowing 179,210 pilgrims, and has lifted the previous age limit of 65 years for pilgrimage.

    Anticipating the participation of approximately 90,000 Pakistani pilgrims under the government scheme, an equal number will opt for private tour operators to fulfil this religious obligation.

    The revised scheme for private Hajj operators entails the formation of 180 groups, each comprising 500 people.

    Each private Hajj operator is now permitted to facilitate 100 pilgrims, resulting in diverse groups of pilgrims utilising services from five different operators.

    In a separate announcement, applications for Hajj 2024 under the government scheme are open from November 27 to December 12, 2023. Notably, there are no age restrictions for Hujjaj (pilgrims), and all applicants must possess a valid CNIC and a Machine-Readable Passport valid until December 16, 2024. Additionally, possessing a mandatory bank account is a prerequisite for all applicants.

    Pakistan is currently in talks with airlines to lower airfares for Hajj flights. Simultaneously, negotiations are ongoing with a mobile company to digitize Hajj 2024 through a dedicated cellphone app, showcasing efforts to enhance accessibility and streamline the pilgrimage experience.

  • UK Police confirms acid attack on Shahzad Akbar

    UK Police confirms acid attack on Shahzad Akbar

    The United Kingdom police have confirmed that Shahzad Akbar, a former adviser to ex-Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, was attacked with acid at his residence on Sunday, as per Geo news.

    Hertfordshire police released a statement revealing that they were alerted by the ambulance service just before 4:45 pm on November 26.

    “It is believed an acidic solution was used. A 46-year-old man received hospital treatment and has now been discharged. Safety of any victim is paramount and we believe this is an isolated incident. Active enquiries are underway. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information which could assist with our investigation is asked to please contact police.”

    Both police sources and Akbar confirmed to Geo News that he had informed UK law enforcement authorities about feeling endangered two weeks ago, citing concerns that his new address in Royston was known to the Pakistani government.

    Imran Khan’s former advisor did so after receiving a letter from the Cabinet Division asking questions about his role in the £190 million NCA properties settlement case and Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s Al-Qadir Trust case.

    “I have been in touch with the UK agencies (Police, National Crime Agency (NCA), intelligence services) after my brother was arrested in Pakistan and kept in custody for many months. The letter two weeks ago came to my new address which was shocking for me because it was a clear message from the Pakistan govt that my location is known. So the police already knew about this matter.

    What was the need to send me a letter at my new address when letters were being served in Islamabad on my home address,” said Akbar.

    A source linked with the Pakistani government with full knowledge of the ongoing cases said it’s a legal requirement to serve papers to the accused’s known address. Akbar holds evidence and documents in the £190 million corruption case and he took away these state-owned papers and refused to cooperate with the inquiry, said the source claimed.

    The claim has been denied by Akbar.

    The case

    The incident took place in an area near London outside the former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader’s residence.

    He wrote, “Last evening I was attacked at my address in England (where I am living in exile with my family) by unknown assailant/s who threw acidic liquid at me. Thankfully my wife and children are safe, however I got some injuries but nothing life-threatening.

    Police and emergency services arrived instantly and house being protected now. I will not be intimidated nor bow down to those who are doing this.”

    Speaking to Geo News, Akbar said a delivery person came to his house and threw acid on him as soon as he opened the door. However, he said, most of the acid landed on the door and only a small amount landed on him.

    “My wife and children remained unharmed, only I got some injuries,” said the former PTI leader.

    Akbar told Geo News that he is currently living in a small village outside of London where he shifted about 1.5 months ago. He said that his new address had been leaked.

    The politician, who has been in self-exile in the UK, said that he was at home with his kids on Sunday when a delivery man wearing a helmet rang the doorbell.

    He said that as soon as he opened the door, the man threw acid on him from a bottle, adding that one side of his face and body were injured.

    He said that the suspect was dressed as a delivery boy and was traveling on a bike.

  • Hajjis to get mobile sims and free internet

    Hajjis to get mobile sims and free internet

    Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Aneeq Ahmed has said that the government will provide free-of-cost mobile SIMs with roaming internet packages for pilgrims, on Tuesday.

    He further stated that female abayas having a Pakistani flag on the backside and 13 Kg suitcases will also be provided to pilgrims performing hajj this year.

    The minister said that it was a historic step that the caretaker government has declared a significant reduction of one lac in government Hajj expenses, adding that a further Rs50,000 will also be reduced in the coming few days after which Hajjaj will get back their money in their accounts.

    He further revealed that a new mobile application has been designed to assist pilgrims, which will provide navigation support and enable constant communication between pilgrims and relevant officials.

    Initially available in English and Urdu, the application will later incorporate various regional languages, he said, adding that, the app will also provide digital training programs to every pilgrim.

    The minister also disclosed a project that the Ministry of Hajj in collaboration with the Ministry of Education has planned to convert city mosques into schools to enroll out-of-school children where the Imam of mosques will play a leading role.

    Minister said that mosques will play their role as community centers in every city area, adding that imams will resolve community issues as well after offering prayers.

    He said that the Ministry of Hajj is taking all four provinces on board and enhancing the connectivity of mosques.

    While describing another project, minister for religious affairs said that his ministry with the collaboration of health ministry has another project in which medical clinics will also be part of mosques.

    Lady health workers and other essential staff of doctors will also be provided in all masajid where they will facilitate to citizens visiting inside the masque of areas, he added.