Tag: Pakistan

  • Abdullah Shafique shines as Pakistan completes record run-chase, beating Sri Lanka in 1st Test

    Abdullah Shafique shines as Pakistan completes record run-chase, beating Sri Lanka in 1st Test

    Abdullah Shafique scored an unbeaten 160 as Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets in the first Test on Wednesday in Galle, chasing down a record mark of 342.

    To take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, the visitors won the game in the final session on the fifth day of competition.

    The most successful fourth-innings chase at Galle previously occurred in 2019 when Sri Lanka defeated New Zealand by a score of 268.

    For the hosts, left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya got four wickets and is on the verge of a record-breaking four consecutive five-wicket hauls in his first two Tests.

    In a series-leveling Test victory against Australia last week at the same location, he grabbed 12 wickets on his debut, six in each innings.

    As soon as Sri Lanka used up their final two umpire reviews, which both featured Jayasuriya, Pakistan started the day on 222-3.

    Mohammad Rizwan began the day with a boundary off Ramesh Mendis and maintained his optimism by taking singles and twos before being bowled out for 40 by Jayasuriya.

    Rizwan, a wicketkeeper-batsman who entered the two-match series following a successful stay with English county Sussex, was not saved by a review.

    Shafique has so far maintained his composure and performed the anchor job flawlessly, scoring his second Test century on day four to put the pursuit in front.

  • Boat heading to a wedding capsizes, at least 20 dead

    Boat heading to a wedding capsizes, at least 20 dead

    On Monday, a boat capsized in the Indus River, killing at least 20 people while around 30 people are still missing. The boat was carrying passengers to a wedding.

    The boat was heavily loaded at the time of the incident as it was carrying more than a 100 people. Police officer Mohammad Hammad told AFP that “most of the drowned appear to be women” as most of the men knew how to swim while the women did not.

    “We’re not sure how many people exactly were on the boat. We’re getting the estimates just on the basis of the family members’ accounts,” local government official Aslam Tasleem told Geo News.

    According to the government’s announcement, over 35 divers from a state-run rescue organisation took part in an effort to find and rescue the passengers.

    Prime Minister (PM) Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has also expressed his grief after the loss of lives in the incident.

  • ‘Go where Muslims are in minority if you want more kids,’ Abdul Qadir Patel on population control

    ‘Go where Muslims are in minority if you want more kids,’ Abdul Qadir Patel on population control

    Federal Minister for Health Abdul Qadir Patel on Monday presented a unique suggestion to control the population of Pakistan. The health minister said that if couples want to have more children, then they should go to another country where Muslims are in a minority so that the Muslim population can also increase around the world.

    Patel said that by 2030, Pakistan’s population is expected to cross 285 million. He said it is an “alarming situation”.

    “We do not want to decrease the Muslim population. We want Muslims to be better, more educated and provide them with better healthcare facilities.”

    Qadir Patel said that he has suggested to people to go have children in countries where the Muslim population is in a minority. “We are a lot in numbers here masha’Allah.”

    The federal minister emphasised that in order to control the growing population, there needs to be more awareness about family planning.

    Qadir Patel made the remarks while addressing a seminar in Islamabad.

    The world’s population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050. According to a United Nations (UN) report, Pakistan is among eight countries where the projected increase of population is expected to be concentrated in 2050.

  • ‘It is my voice’: Sheikh Rasheed confirms the authenticity of his audio leak

    ‘It is my voice’: Sheikh Rasheed confirms the authenticity of his audio leak

    An audio call between former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed and another man, Gul Zaman, has been leaked.

    In the audio leak, it can be heard that two are talking about a “payment” being made to PML-N’s Mian Jaleel Ahmed Sharaqpuri.

    Following the news, Zaman came forward with his side of the story. He said that Rasheed called him and started talking about some payment and Sharaqpuri. “I snubbed him and asked him right away,” he added.

    He claimed he hasn’t met Sharaqpuri and Sharaqpuri also doesn’t know him. Gul Zaman said he has no clue why Rasheed said all that.

    While talking to Samaa News, Sheikh Rasheed confirmed the authenticity of the leak. According to him, all of this was a joke and denied any payments being made.

    In a video message, he further clarified that Sharaqpuri is innocent and blamed the government for the leak. He said that the government has a problem with Sharaqpuri giving his resignation to Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

    Sharaqpuri said that it was a pre-planned audio leak. He said he doesn’t know Sheikh Rasheed much. He further added that Rasheed is Imran Khan’s enemy and is a fraud.

    https://twitter.com/mianjalilahmedd/status/1548628283725680640?s=21&t=2wRqvRPk0BUyMufpbemXfw
    Trouble for PML-N: Mian Jaleel Ahmed Sharaqpuri resigns

    PML-N Member of Punjab Assembly (MPA) Mian Jaleel Ahmed Sharaqpuri resigned from his seat on Saturday.

    The former MPA announced his decision along with Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Fawad Chaudhry tweeted before Sharaqpuri’s resignation that some PML-N MPAs are soon going to tender their resignations.

    PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) have claimed that another sitting PML-N MPA Maulvi Ghayas ud Din will also resign. However, Ghayas ud Din has not issued any such statement and has denied these reports, reports Geo News.

    According to Fawad Chaudhry, another PML-N MPA Kashif Mehmood has been disqualified. He claimed that now the PML-N and PPP have 173 MPAs including the independent candidates in the Punjab Assembly. PTI has also the support of 173 MPAs.

    Sharaqpuri’s resignation has put the PML-N in a tight spot as it is already in a neck-to-neck contest with PTI-PMLQ over the Chief Minister’s (CM) slot.

    All eyes are set on today’s by-election results, which will decide the Punjab government’s fate.

  • Asim Azhar and Badshah’s viral screenshot has amazed global music buffs

    Asim Azhar and Badshah’s viral screenshot has amazed global music buffs

    Indian rapper Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodia aka Badshah has messaged Pakistan singing sensation Asim Azhar after enjoying his latest track Habibi.

    On Friday, Asim shared a screenshot of the chat he had with the Indian artist on his Instagram Stories. Badshah messaged, “Tripping on Habibi.” He added the 100% emoji and a red heart emoji. The Humraah singer replied, “Means so much coming from you brother.”

    To this, Badshah added, “Kya hi bandiya bhai, khatam melody. What a song you’ve made bro, the melody is great!” Azhar thanked him saying, “Lots of love big bro!” Badshah sent a folded hands emoji, used to show respect.

    Asim also commented on a video of the Paani Paani crooner in which he and his friends can be seen jamming on the latest chartbuster.

    The Ghalat Fehmi crooner had earlier shared Habibi on his Instagram with the caption, “Had a fight with your partner and you don’t know how to make it up? Habibi — the new song by Asim Azhar — is THE song for you. It’s the patch-up song of the season and a whole new vibe. Listen, feel and rekindle the love.”

    He also shared a fun video with his clan on Twitter.

  • IMF board to approve Pakistan’s $1.17 billion tranche in August

    IMF board to approve Pakistan’s $1.17 billion tranche in August

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Board’s approval for the release of $1,177 million to Pakistan is expected in the third or fourth week of August, according to Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail.

    “Most probably August 26 is the date of board approval,” he said.

    A staff-level agreement (SLA) was achieved between the IMF team and the Pakistani government on Thursday to conclude the Extended Fund Facility’s (EFF) combined seventh and eighth evaluations, according to Brecorder.

    As per IMF’s statement, “Subject to Board approval, about $1,177 million (SDR 894 million) will become available, increasing the total disbursements under the Programme to approximately $4.2 billion.” The agreement also included a nine-month extension of the EFF programme and an additional $1 billion.

    The federal government stated that the administration has already performed all of the preliminary steps necessary for approval. “Therefore, after the staff-level agreement, the approval from the board could be considered a formality,” he said.

    The World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), among others, may all provide finance as a result of the development, he claimed.

    “Pakistan can easily borrow money from multilateral institutions,” he said.

    While discussing commodity pricing, Miftah remarked that the people will also profit from the falling costs of goods like edible oil and wheat on the world market.

    The administration made difficult choices, the finance minister continued, to prevent the nation from going into debt and to help it from its current economic crisis.

    He said that the government is exerting every effort to address the circular debt and poor governance problems.

  • Covid-19: Pakistan reports 10 deaths in the last 24 hours

    Covid-19: Pakistan reports 10 deaths in the last 24 hours

    According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), 10 people have lost their live to Covid-19 in the last 24 hours. It is the highest number of deaths reported in four and a half months.

    In addition, 737 cases of Covid-19 with a positivity rate of 3.28 per cent were reported in Pakistan on July 15. A total of 22,451 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours.

    In April, Pakistan reported zero Covid-19-related deaths for the first time since the breakout of the pandemic in the country.

    In March this year, the government announced the closure of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). The body was set up in March 2020 to deal with Covid-19.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on June 19 urged Pakistanis to follow Covid-related standard operating procedures (SOPs) amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

  • ‘Nation grieves’: Lt Col Laiq Baig Mirza martyred by terrorists in Balochistan

    ‘Nation grieves’: Lt Col Laiq Baig Mirza martyred by terrorists in Balochistan

    Lieutenant Colonel Laiq Baig Mirza embraced martyrdom after being abducted by terrorists in Ziarat District, Balochistan.

    According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Shaheed Lt Col Baig and his cousin Umer Javed were kidnapped by terrorists when they were both returning to Quetta after visiting Quaid-e-Azam’s residency.

    Quick Response Force (QRF) of SSG Commandos was dispatched instantly for a search operation.

    “Resultantly, on the night between July 13 and July 14, a group of six to eight terrorists was spotted moving in a nullah in nearby mountains by one of the teams of security forces. On sensing their possible encirclement, terrorists shot Lt Col Mirza and attempted to flee,” said the military’s media wing.

    Later, the exchange of fire between the army and the terrorist group resulted in the killing of two terrorists. However, Lt Col Mirza’s cousin Umer couldn’t be recovered.

    A search operation is still underway to recover Umer Javed.

    The ISPR said that the forces are determined to recover the innocent civilian hostage. “Security Forces remain resolute to thwart such cowardly attempts at sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan.”

    PM Shehbaz and CM Balochistan extend condolences

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif tweeted, “Deeply grieved over the martyrdom of Lt Col Laiq Baig Mirza in Balochistan. Our law enforcement agencies will hunt down all those who perpetrated this heinous crime and bring them to justice. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family. The nation grieves with them and shares their sorrow.”

    Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister (CM) Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo also expressed sorrow at Lt Col Baig’s martyrdom.

  • ‘This too shall pass’, Pakistani captain Babar Azam backs Virat Kohli to regain form

    ‘This too shall pass’, Pakistani captain Babar Azam backs Virat Kohli to regain form

    After the batter lost form and was benched for the upcoming West Indies series, the Pakistani captain Babar Azam spoke out in favor of the former Indian captain Virat Kohli to stay strong on Thursday night.

    Due to a groin injury, Kohli missed the first ODI against England and scored just 16 runs in the second game, which India lost by a score of 100 runs at Lord’s.

    After scoring 1 and 11 in the T20I series and failing in the rescheduled fifth Test, the right-hander has now gone 77 consecutive international innings without reaching three figures.

    Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal are both resting for the same tour, so his name is also absent from India’s T20I squad to play the West Indies.

    Fans and former greats have questioned Kohli’s place in the team because of the impending T20 World Cup and the need for World Test Championship points to stay in the running for next year’s final, but his Pakistani counterpart has expressed his support on social media.

    Few players have the same understanding of the challenges of maintaining world-class form as Pakistan’s captain, who is currently experiencing a golden period.

    Babar is ranked first in the MRF Tyres ICC batting rankings for both ODI and T20I matches, as well as fourth in Test cricket, after scoring international centuries in recent series against Australia and the West Indies as well as a T20I half-century against Australia in Lahore last month.

    Prior to the England ODIs, captain Rohit Sharma stood up for his teammate, giving Kohli additional support earlier in the week.

    “When someone is scoring consistently for so long, we can’t overlook his contribution if he is not scoring in one or two series or in one or two years.”

    “We know the importance of Virat Kohli. The experts have got all the right to talk about it but for us these things don’t matter,” he added.

  • Gender Gap Report: Pakistan ranked second-worst in the world

    Gender Gap Report: Pakistan ranked second-worst in the world

    Pakistan is the second-worst country in the world in terms of gender parity as per the Global Gender Gap Report 2022. In a report released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Wednesday, Pakistan is ranked 145 out of 146 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index.

    The report examined gender differences in 146 nations in a variety of fields, including politics, health, economic opportunities, and education.

    The report says that Pakistan is a nation where women have the least proportion of senior executive and legislative jobs.

    “Pakistan is the country where women have the smallest share of senior, managerial and legislative roles (4.5%), compared to Jamaica, where women represent 56.6% of workers in that category, or Togo, which has the highest share of women in senior roles,” revealed the WEF report.

    Labour-force participation of women has also seen a reduction of 1.9 percentage points in 2022.

    Pakistan was one of the five nations with a gender gap of more than 5 per cent — the others being Qatar, Azerbaijan, China, and India.