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  • 27-feet-long Bryde’s whale found dead on seashore in Balochistan

    27-feet-long Bryde’s whale found dead on seashore in Balochistan

    A 27-feet-long whale has washed up on a remote seashore in Balochistan. The animal was identified as Bryde’s whale, a rare species present mostly in tropical waters. The carcass was found in the Pasni region, specifically in Sarbandan.

    There are signs of entrapment on its body, leading to speculation that the whale either got trapped in a fishing net or a fisherman tried to ensnare it, Deputy Director of Environment Department Abdul Raheem Baloch has said.

    Sightings of Bryde’s whale and their entrapment have become frequent in recent times. Detailed records from 2022 indicate that four such whales were entangled along the coast of Pakistan during that year, as reported by the Tribune.

    Technical advisor at WWF, Moazzam Khan, expressed concerns over the rise in the incidents and the threat the species is facing in the Arabian Sea. Solid measures need to be taken to minimise the factors contributing to the vulnerability of Bryde’s whale as well as for its conversation.

  • ‘Not crime to make mistakes’: Babar Azam under pressure after Pakistan crashes out of World Cup

    ‘Not crime to make mistakes’: Babar Azam under pressure after Pakistan crashes out of World Cup

    Captain Babar Azam was described as “depressed” and under pressure to save his job on Sunday after Pakistan crashed out of the Cricket World Cup, failing to make the semi-finals for a second successive tournament.

    A 93-run loss to England sealed Pakistan’s fate, ending the 1992 champions’ already slim hopes of squeezing into the last four.

    Former captain and ex-chairman of the cricket board Ramiz Raja said that 29-year-old Azam was “depressed” over the reaction at home.

    Fans’ anger would have been made more acute by seeing arch-rivals India sweeping to eight wins out of eight, becoming the first team to reach the semi-finals.

    Pakistan lost five of their nine games including a seven-wicket mauling by India in front of more than 100,000 fans in Ahmedabad.

    That was India’s eighth victory in eight World Cup games against their neighbours.

    Pakistan also lost to Afghanistan for the first time.

    Azam made 320 runs at the World Cup with four fifties at an average of 40 and remains the world’s second-highest-ranked batsman. He has almost 13,000 runs in all international cricket.

    However, it was his captaincy in India which was questioned when he faced accusations of lacking aggression in field settings.

    “I get behind Babar. Babar is very, very close to me. He’s a young guy that needs to be taken on the journey, he needs to be shown the ropes,” said team director Mickey Arthur.

    ‘Time to grow’

    Azam has been captain of the Test and ODI teams since 2020.

    “He’s still learning all the time. We know he’s a very, very fine batsman. He learns every day with his captaincy,” added Arthur.

    “We have to allow him the time to grow. And in order to do that, you make mistakes. It’s not a crime to make mistakes as long as you learn from those mistakes,” he said.

    Despite the despondency of fans at home, Azam and his team found sympathy in India.

    Only a smattering of fans — mostly expatriates — were at the venues as visa complications effectively meant a ban on those wishing to cross the border.

    As a Pakistan squad playing in India for the first time in seven years, they were virtually confined to hotel rooms once playing and training commitments were completed.

    Security details would accompany players and squad members if they wanted to venture outside their hotel.

    Arthur compared the situation to touring “in Covid times”.

    Raja believes that Azam may become the first victim of bloodletting in a cricketing environment often plagued by infighting.

    “There’s so much pressure on him that he may leave the job,” Raja told the BBC’s Test Match Special.

    “Back home there has obviously been a massive backlash, as expected. The Pakistan media have targeted certain players, especially Babar Azam.

    “It’s just a World Cup so you have to take the heat somehow. The problem with this team is it has the potential to play modern-day cricket but they have been a bit shy and timid with their approach,’ Raja added.

  • New survey: Large number of Pakistanis boycotting pro-Israel brands

    New survey: Large number of Pakistanis boycotting pro-Israel brands

    People across the world have been calling for a boycott of brands and companies affiliated with Israel as the onslaught on Gaza continues.

    The purpose of boycotting the Israel-affiliated brands is to economically hurt its government that is committing what many experts have now termed a genocide.

    Pulse Consultant conducted a survey to deduce the response of Pakistanis towards the boycott — to judge how many are willing to stop buying such products.

    Titled the ‘Consumer Sentiments Sway Towards Boycott’, the survey revealed that eight out of 10 respondents (83%) in the top 12 cities of Pakistan “agreed with the appeal of boycotting brands of those companies who are allegedly supporting the occupied army”.

    Amongst those who agreed to boycott, 79% claimed that they did it. Additionally, the females (85%) ratio is higher than males (78%).

    The survey is based on more than 1200 respondents, both genders, with age groups of 16-55+.

    The interviews were conducted through Computer Assisted Telephonic facility, from November 5th to 11th.

  • Vikrant Gupta asks Wasim Akram whether Babar’s captaincy was more disappointing or his batting

    Vikrant Gupta asks Wasim Akram whether Babar’s captaincy was more disappointing or his batting

    Indian sports journalist Vikrant Gupta asked Wasim Akram on X (formerly Twitter) whether it is fair to blame only Pakistan captain Babar Azam when the team’s fast bowlers are taking only three wickets with the new ball in nine matches.

    He also asked what was more disappointing, Babar’s batting or his captaincy in the World Cup, and how the two things interlink with each other.

    Waseem Akram answered the question on ‘A Sports’, saying, “Some mistakes may have been made by Babar Azam as a captain in Asia Cup and World Cup, but the captain alone should not play cricket, it is the fault of the whole system, you can’t just make the captain a scapegoat. The boys don’t know who is the coach, who is coming and who is going, it is not only the captain’s fault but everyone’s fault.”

    In response to the second question, Wasim Akram replied, “When Babar Azam scores a big score, we are happy along with the entire public. There is no doubt that his captaincy has affected his batting, he has seen pressure during the Asia Cup and the World Cup.”

    He said, “When you are captaining, obviously there will be pressure, but when you are batting then you should focus only on scoring runs, it is easy to say but difficult to do”.

  • Bank deposits in Pakistan hit all-time high, showing 17.80% increase in a day 

    Bank deposits in Pakistan hit all-time high, showing 17.80% increase in a day 

    In a statement released on Friday, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced that the country’s bank deposits had reached an all-time high.  

    On October 23, there was a notable increase of 17.80 per cent, amounting to Rs3,986 billion, compared to the figures on October 22. 

    According to the central bank, the total banking deposits for October 2023 reached a historic level of Rs26,000.398 billion. 

    Rupee expected to fall further 

    In other news, a Tresmark report suggests that the Pakistani rupee is anticipated to face pressure against the US dollar in the ongoing week until the completion of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) initial review of the country’s $3 billion loan programme.  

    The local currency experienced a depreciation of Rs2 or 0.60 per cent against the US dollar during the week, concluding at Rs287.03 on Friday.  

    It’s worth noting that the foreign exchange market was closed on Thursday due to a public holiday. 

    The IMF’s evaluation of Pakistan’s bailout package began on November 2, with expectations for the review to conclude by December 15. 

  • Agricultural boom: Pakistan’s farm exports surge by more than 70%

    Agricultural boom: Pakistan’s farm exports surge by more than 70%

    In October 2023, Pakistan experienced a notable surge in exports, marking a 13.5 per cent increase to reach $2.7 billion, as reported by the Pakistan Business Forum (PBF).  

    Simultaneously, the trade deficit saw a 4.5 per cent reduction during the same period, indicating positive economic developments. 

    Chaudhry Ahmad Jawad, the Vice President of PBF, highlighted the remarkable 73 per cent growth in the agriculture sector for October.  

    Notably, exports of rice and sesame seeds played a pivotal role in this expansion, showcasing a diversification of the country’s export portfolio and underscoring the robustness of the agricultural industry. 

    Jawad emphasised the imperative for Pakistan to boost its service exports, particularly in information and communication technology (ICT), to address the balance of payment deficit.  

    Drawing a comparison with India, he noted India’s remarkable achievement in ICT exports surpassing $140 billion in fiscal year 2022–23, contrasting with Pakistan’s stagnant growth at $2.6 billion in fiscal year 2021–22.  

    The key differentiator, as Jawad pointed out, is the focus on technology and engineering in India over the years, leading to a skilled labour pool. 

    While acknowledging the challenges in the short to medium term, Jawad expressed optimism about Pakistan’s potential for growth in the ICT sector. He suggested addressing the skills gap by offering crash courses to enhance the capabilities of IT graduates. 

    Jawad further underscored concerns raised by IT companies in Pakistan, stating that despite an abundance of talent, the technology sector faces difficulties due to a lack of demand and challenges in remitting money outside Pakistan.  

    He called for government intervention to tackle these issues, pointing to the State Bank of Pakistan’s efforts in 2020 and emphasising the need for ongoing attention to restore confidence. 

    Finally, a PBF official commended the caretaker IT minister’s goal of increasing ICT exports to $10 billion and bringing renowned payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe to Pakistan.  

    However, he raised concerns about existing limitations on exporters’ remittances, urging the finance division to address this critical issue. 

  • World Cup 2023: India defeats Netherlands by 160 runs

    World Cup 2023: India defeats Netherlands by 160 runs

    In the last group stage match of the World Cup 2023 India defeated Netherlands by 160 runs.

    This match between the two teams was played in Bengaluru and it is the last match before the World Cup semi-final in which India won the toss and decided to bat first.

    India’s inning:

    India scored 410 runs for 4 wickets in given 50 overs, Shreyas Iyer remained unbeaten by scoring 128 runs. Apart from this, KL Rahul played an innings of 102 runs, captain Rohit Sharma scored 61 runs while Virat Kohli and Shibman Gill scored 51 runs each.

    For the Netherlands, Bas de Lede took two wickets, while Paul van McKearn and van der Merwe took one wicket each.

    Netherland’s inning:

    Chasing India’s target of 410 Netherland’s whole team returned to the pavilion on 250 runs in 47.5 overs.

    From the Netherlands side, Teja Nidamanuru scored 54 runs, Sybrand Engelbrecht 45, Colin Ackerman 35, Max’O David 30, Captain Scott Edward 17, Logan Wan Beek, and Roelof van der Merwe scored 16 runs each.

    From India’s side Jasprit Bumrah, Muhammad Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets each.

  • Ayeza Khan apologises for her previous post on the Palestine genocide

    Ayeza Khan apologises for her previous post on the Palestine genocide

    Actress Ayeza Khan was caught in a controversy over a social media post addressing her silence on the war on Palestine. Several users criticised the actress for writing that praying daily is better than pointing fingers and blaming others.

    “Because I know that praying daily is more powerful than posting daily, please pray for the world as much as you can and avoid pointing fingers and blaming each other on this platform. We all have children and loved ones, and we can all feel the pain. We cannot imagine how painful it is for them, but I’m keeping my faith in Allah, and very soon, Allah will bring justice, Ameen.”

    After severe backlash, Khan deleted the statement and apologised by clarifying her support for Palestine:

    “I would like to take a moment to address an issue that has been misinterpreted and circulated. I won’t attempt to justify or explain because God knows that my intentions were not malicious, but I may have failed to articulate it well. I take full responsibility for this, both personally and on behalf of my team. I sincerely apologize to those who were hurt by my statement. I appreciate you all for bringing this matter to my attention, as I, too, am only human. I take full responsibility and assure you nothing of such sort shall ever happen again.”

    “While my awareness may not bring on immediate resolution,” the Chupke Chupke actress further penned, “I maintain faith in Allah in the possibility of change through prayer. Therefore, alongside our continuous awareness efforts, let us unite in prayer to end this cruelty. For indeed, we need Him and His divine help. My prayers are with the Palestinians.”

  • Three Arab countries refuse to cut off economic ties with Israel

    Three Arab countries refuse to cut off economic ties with Israel

    Saudi Arabia hosted an Arab-Islamic summit on Saturday, calling to end Israeli attacks on Gaza and rejecting the justification of Israel’s actions against Palestinians as self-defence.

    The summit also asserted that Israel end the siege of Gaza and allow humanitarian aid into the enclave, ceasing arms exports to Israel.

    It further insisted that the United Nations Security Council adopt “a decisive and binding resolution” to halt Israel’s “aggression” and demanded that the International Criminal Court probe “war crimes and crimes against humanity that Israel is committing” in the Palestinian territories.

    Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stated that Saudi Arabia “confirms that it holds the occupation (Israeli) authorities responsible for the crimes committed against the Palestinian people.”

    “We are certain that the only way to guarantee security, peace and stability in the region is to end the occupation, siege and the settlements,” he added.

    A number of countries, including Algeria and Lebanon, suggested that the attacks on Gaza be responded by disruption of oil supply to Israel and its allies in addition to cutting off economic and diplomatic ties that some Arab League nations have with Israel.

    However, at least three countries rejected the proposal, according to the diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity, reports Dawn.

    These countries included the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, both of whom normalised ties with Israel in 2020.

    Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remarked that without any stern measures against Israel, the summit would not be effective.

    “If we do not have real tools for pressure, then any step we take or speech we give will have no meaning,” said Assad, who rejoined the Arab fold this year after a long conflict over civil war in his country.

  • Racist Pakistan, now an apparent reality

    Afghan deportation under the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan launched by the caretaker setup has instigated a huge humanitarian crisis in the country. As people who have called Pakistan home for decades leave unwillingly, their children strapped to their pitiful belongings in small trucks, three sets of views have become prevalent in the country.

    The first is propounded by the government: the situation of unrest and civil war has quelled in Afghanistan so it’s time for these refugees to go back. Because the land they come from is contributing to rising terrorism in Pakistan, their exit is inevitable. This narrative is deeply rooted in a superiority complex coming from hosting Afghans for decades, as is evident by the affirmative statements said as a foreword to every such explanation.

    The second is the humanitarian stance where it is claimed that people who have lived here for years are not alien anymore, giving them refuge has brought aid of millions of dollars to Pakistan, and that this forceful expulsion is against the rights of refugees.

    The third point of view stems from the ground realities. It is about the reality and not the narrative. This view is not just looking at the expulsion of Afghans, it is also seeing latent racism, poor execution of the plan, the rush in which it has been carried out, and the fatal flaws it carries. This view sees that the deportation is being carried out by an unelected government, blind raids are being conducted where people with legal documents are getting arrested, contrary to the claims of the government that only illegal foreigners will be arrested. It also shows video documents of the Pashtun community being targeted, even if they are Pakistani – picked up by the police and deported to foreign lands only because they look like, or talk like, them. It sees families getting harassed, and children being separated from parents even though these guardians are desperately proving their Pakistaniat. It displays the human tragedy that is unfolding before our eyes without any media coverage.

    Some experts believe that the policy is part of a broader retaliation for the Afghan Taliban’s failure to rein in the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), even as the militant group orchestrates attack upon attack on Pakistani soil.

    Videos have emerged where parents are showing the birth certificates of children who do not hold a CNIC yet are sent to the Chaman border for the journey to Afghanistan. Anas, a 16-year-old boy, managed to call his father, pleading with him to save him from being deported while the SHO in front of the holding centre nonchalantly said that people sent by mistake are not going to be reproduced by the authorities. Media presence is already banned in the holding centres and there is no way to question this. The mainstream media is also not giving the matter due attention.

    The government is turning a blind eye to the suffering of four million Afghan refugees forced to leave on the brink of a hard winter to a land foreign to them since they were born here.

    The government does not need to emulate any country when it is itself setting an unprecedented level of cruelty.

    Siding with xenophobia is a xenophobic act in itself.