Bangladesh skipper believes historic cricket triumph in Pakistan will bring smiles at home

Bangladesh skipper believes historic cricket triumph in Pakistan will bring smiles at home
Bangladesh's captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (2R) celebrates with teammates after their win at the second and last Test cricket match against Pakistan, in the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium of Rawalpindi on September 3, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 03 September 2024
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Bangladesh skipper believes historic cricket triumph in Pakistan will bring smiles at home

Bangladesh skipper believes historic cricket triumph in Pakistan will bring smiles at home
  • Bangladesh won two consecutive Test matches against Pakistan at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
  • The team is now scheduled to tour India this month for two Test and three Twenty20 matches

RAWALPINDI: Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto believed his team’s first test cricket series win over Pakistan will give his compatriots reason to smile amid ongoing difficulties.
The recent civil unrest that toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid caused Bangladesh to be stripped of the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup, and in the past week the country has been hit by deadly flash floods that have affected millions of people.
“For the last one and a half months, everyone (in Bangladesh) has struggled a lot,” Shanto said after Bangladesh beat Pakistan by six wickets in the second test on the last day Tuesday.
“We all know cricket is a very emotional thing in our country, so I hope they will get some smiles because we’ve won the series.”
Bangladesh followed an epic 10-wicket victory in the first test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium with a comeback win in the second test on the same ground.
Bangladesh was 26-6 in its first innings but Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz batted them to just a 12-run deficit. Then the fast bowlers dismissed Pakistan for 172 and Bangladesh reached the winning target of 185 in 56 overs.
“The belief in the dressing room is very different this time,” Shanto said. “We were nervous (at 26-6) but the way Litton and Miraz batted … we believed that those guys will take us to a good position.”
Shanto was impressed with the work ethic of young fast bowlers Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana, who shared nine wickets in the second innings.
“We read the conditions very well,” Shanto said. “The bowlers did their job … and just tried to bowl in the channel for a long time, not like one or two overs. The bowlers did a lot of hard work and that’s why we got the result.”
Bangladesh is scheduled to tour India this month for two tests and three Twenty20s, and Shanto said the historic win in Pakistan — only their second series triumph away from home — boosts their morale.
“This series (in Pakistan) gives us a lot of confidence,” Shanto said.


Pakistan fall 2-1 to India in final pool match at Asian Hockey Champions Trophy

Pakistan fall 2-1 to India in final pool match at Asian Hockey Champions Trophy
Updated 7 sec ago
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Pakistan fall 2-1 to India in final pool match at Asian Hockey Champions Trophy

Pakistan fall 2-1 to India in final pool match at Asian Hockey Champions Trophy
  • The Green Shirts had already qualified for the semifinal of the tournament in China before facing India
  • Pakistan were unbeaten until today, winning 5-1 against China to secure second spot on the points table

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national hockey team suffered a 2-1 defeat in the last pool match against India on Saturday at the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2024 at the Moqi Hockey Training Base in Hulunbuir, China.
The two traditional rivals played with determination, with Pakistan securing an early advantage when Ahmad Nadeem netted a field goal, putting India under pressure.
However, the momentum shifted when the rival team responded with two consecutive goals in the first half, securing a lead they maintained until the final whistle.
“What a game,” Hockey India proclaimed on social media platform X. “India vs Pakistan lived up to the hype with non-stop action and intense rivalry!”

 
The Asian Hockey Federation also confirmed the 2-1 score in India’s favor toward the end of the match.
 
The Pakistan team had already secured a spot in the semifinals before facing India.
The Green Shirts remained unbeaten until today’s match, having secured a 5-1 victory against hosts China on Thursday, which moved them to second place on the points table.
“It is a collective team effort, we are learning by each match,” Hannan Shahid, who was named “hero” of Thursday’s match, said after the win.
Shahid said his side conceded too many cards in the start of the tournament, but had overcome it.
“Hero of the team award is a result of my team’s effort, they created chances for me to score and I am happy how we have progressed in the tournament,” he added.
Others who scored goals for Pakistan included Rehman Abdul and Ahmad Nadeem, while Jiesheng Gao scored the only goal for China.


Trump paid no ‘heed’ to Imran Khan’s imprisonment, Pakistani-American aide says

Trump paid no ‘heed’ to Imran Khan’s imprisonment, Pakistani-American aide says
Updated 36 min 8 sec ago
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Trump paid no ‘heed’ to Imran Khan’s imprisonment, Pakistani-American aide says

Trump paid no ‘heed’ to Imran Khan’s imprisonment, Pakistani-American aide says
  • Trump aide Sajid Tarar says some Pakistani-Americans conveying through social media that Trump could push for Khan’s release if elected, but there is ‘no truth to it’
  • Khan and his PTI party have waged an unprecedented campaign of defiance against Pakistan’s military and now the PTI is aiming to mobilize public for Khan’s release

ISLAMABAD: Sajid Tarar, a Pakistani-American businessman and close aide to Donald Trump, said on Friday that a few Pakistani-Americans had tried to discuss former prime minister Imran Khan’s imprisonment and local Pakistani politics with the US presidential nominee at a recent fundraiser, but Trump “did not pay any heed to it.”
Khan, who is in jail since last August, was ousted from the PM’s office in 2022 in a parliamentary vote of no confidence after what is widely believed to be a falling out with Pakistan’s powerful military, which denies being involved in politics.
Since his removal, Khan and his party have waged an unprecedented campaign of defiance against the military and now his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is aiming to mobilize the public through rallies for its leader’s release from jail in “politically motivated” cases.
Tarar, who lives in Maryland and met Trump through his lawyer in 2016, is one of 136 members of Trump’s finance team and is believed to be instrumental in raising funds and organizing election campaigns for the former president across the US.
In an interview with Arab News, the Trump aide said some Pakistani-Americans had been conveying through social media that the US presidential nominee could push for Khan’s release if he was elected, but there was “no truth to it.”
“Even if Trump wins, obviously, he won’t be interfering in Pakistan’s judicial system to get Imran Khan released,” Tarar, who moved to the US from Pakistan’s Mandi Bahauddin district to study law some 36 years ago, told Arab News over the phone.
“Some Pakistani-Americans have been pedaling this thing on social media, but there is no truth to it that President Trump would interfere in local Pakistani politics.”
Tarar stressed that Trump had a relationship with the prime minister of Pakistan during his tenure in the office and not with an individual, referring to Khan’s meeting with Trump in the White House in July 2019.
“Representatives of different political parties in Pakistan, including the PTI, have approached me to lobby and meet Trump, but this has not materialized yet,” he added.

This file photo, posted on January 7, 2018, shows Sajid Tarar (right), a Pakistani-American businessman and close aide to former US president Donald Trump, during an event in Washington. (Photo courtesy: Facebook/Sajid Tarar)

Trump is facing Democratic nominee and US Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election due to be held on November 5, with both candidates struggling to get maximum support of all communities, including Pakistani and Muslim diaspora, in the upcoming elections.
Tarar claimed that a majority of Muslim population in the US supported the Republican nominee in the upcoming presidential election, following the failure of President Joe Biden’s administration to have a ceasefire in Gaza.
“The majority of Muslim voters, including the Pakistani diaspora in the US, has been aligning with Trump after the Biden administration’s failure to manage a ceasefire in Gaza,” he said.
Muslims in America have been visibly divided between Republican and Democratic camps ahead of the presidential election in November. Historically, majority of American Muslims have voted for the Democrats, but this time they appear to be leaning toward Republican nominee Trump.
The US presidential election campaign is currently at its peak and both candidates are struggling to woo voters, promising different reforms and policies, according to Tarar. Some 17 percent Muslims voted for Trump in the previous election, but this is going to be more than 50 precent in this election.
The Pakistani-American aide is currently in California for Trump’s fundraising and has been mobilizing Muslim communities, including 0.7 million Pakistanis, in the US. He believes Pakistan-US diplomatic and defense relations would improve under the Trump administration, which will bring peace and stability to the region and the world.
“Pakistan being next to China and Afghanistan cannot be ignored at all [by the US] as the Trump administration will be fully focusing on terrorism eradication and stability in the region,” the aide said.


Roadside bomb kills two policemen in Pakistan’s volatile southwest

Roadside bomb kills two policemen in Pakistan’s volatile southwest
Updated 45 min 36 sec ago
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Roadside bomb kills two policemen in Pakistan’s volatile southwest

Roadside bomb kills two policemen in Pakistan’s volatile southwest
  • Pakistan’s largest province of Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has been the site of a decades-long insurgency by Baloch separatists
  • Separatist militants last month hit several civil and military targets in a string of coordinated attacks in Balochistan, killing more than 50 people

QUETTA: A roadside bomb killed two policemen in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Saturday, police said, amid a surge in militant attacks in the restive region.
An improvised explosive device (IED) targeted a police vehicle in Kuchlak area on the outskirts of the provincial capital of Quetta, according to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Muhammad Baloch.
“One policeman was killed and another injured in the latest attack,” SSP Baloch told Arab News, later confirming that the injured policeman had also succumbed to his wounds.
Pakistan’s largest province of Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan and is home to major China-led projects such as a strategic port and a gold and copper mine, has been the site of a decades-long separatist insurgency by ethnic Baloch militants.
Last month, separatist militants hit several civil and military targets in a string of coordinated attacks in Balochistan, killing more than 50 people. The attacks prompted Pakistani military to gun down a dozen militants in separate operations in the province.
The separatists accuse the central government of exploiting Balochistan’s mineral and gas resources. The Pakistani state denies the allegation and says it is working to uplift the region through development initiatives.


Four killed, 14 injured after bus falls into ravine in Pakistan’s Balochistan

Four killed, 14 injured after bus falls into ravine in Pakistan’s Balochistan
Updated 14 September 2024
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Four killed, 14 injured after bus falls into ravine in Pakistan’s Balochistan

Four killed, 14 injured after bus falls into ravine in Pakistan’s Balochistan
  • The incident occurred in Dana Sar mountainous area that lies along the Koh-e-Sulaiman range
  • District officials say the driver of the Quetta-bound bus fell asleep and lost control of vehicle

QUETTA: At least four people were killed and 14 others injured after a passenger bus fell into a ravine in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Saturday, officials said.
The bus was traveling to Quetta from Islamabad, when the driver reportedly fell asleep and the bus fell into a gorge near Dana Sar area in Balochistan’s Sherani district, according to Sana Mahjabeen Umrani, a senior district administration official.
The deceased included the bus driver, while his assistant was among the critically wounded persons.
“Eight critically injured persons, including women, have been referred to Quetta for better medical treatment,” Umrani told Arab News.

Bystanders stand next to the wreckage of a bus after an accident in in Dana Sar, some 80 kilometers away from Zhob city, Balochistan on September 14, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Levis Force Sherani district)

Dana Sar is a mountainous area that lies along the Koh-e-Sulaiman mountain range, with a curvy and narrow N-50 highway passing through it.
In July 2022, 20 passengers were killed and more than a dozen others injured after a Quetta-bound passenger bus fell into a ravine in the area notorious for fatal road accidents.
Last month, a bus carrying pilgrims from Iran to Pakistan’s Karachi fell into a ditch near the Buzi Top area on the Makran Coastal Highway in Balochistan, killing 12 people and injuring 35 others.
Fatal accidents are common in Pakistan, where traffic rules are rarely followed and roads, particularly in many rural and mountainous areas, are in poor condition.
Such incidents are particularly common in Balochistan where single carriage roads connect various cities and even some highways lack modern safety features.


PM calls for improving licensing regulations for electric vehicles manufacturing in Pakistan

PM calls for improving licensing regulations for electric vehicles manufacturing in Pakistan
Updated 14 September 2024
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PM calls for improving licensing regulations for electric vehicles manufacturing in Pakistan

PM calls for improving licensing regulations for electric vehicles manufacturing in Pakistan
  • Pakistan approved National Electric Vehicles Policy in 2019 with the goal of electric vehicles comprising 30 percent of all passenger vehicles
  • Road transport is a significant contributor to air pollution as around 23 percent of Pakistan’s greenhouse gas emissions originate from vehicles

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked officials to improve licensing regulations regarding the manufacturing of electric vehicles in the country, Pakistani state media reported on Saturday.
Pakistan approved an ambitious National Electric Vehicles Policy (NEVP) in 2019 with the goal of electric vehicles comprising 30 percent of all passenger vehicles and heavy-duty truck sales by 2030, and an even more ambitious target of 90 percent by 2040.
Presiding over a meeting with regard to country’s shift to electric vehicles, Sharif directed officials to finalize a policy after consultations with all the federating units and stakeholders, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The government is taking priority steps to promote electric vehicles in the country,” he was quoted as saying by the broadcaster. “These vehicles will not only save valuable foreign exchange in terms of import of petrol and diesel but will also be environment friendly.”
Pakistan, which has been struggling with an economic crisis, imports most of its energy needs. The country’s urban areas exhibit some of the world’s highest levels of air pollution, primarily due to sub-2.5 μm particulate emissions. This issue significantly impairs both the country’s economy and the quality of life of its residents.
Road transport is a significant contributor to air pollution as around 23 percent of Pakistan’s greenhouse gas emissions originate from vehicles.
Official informed participants of the meeting that since 2022, 49 licenses had been issued for the production of two and three-wheeled electric vehicles at the local level, of which 25 plants had started manufacturing, according to the Radio Pakistan report.
The first license for domestic production of four-wheeled electric vehicles was issued in September this year and the first indigenously manufactured electric car will come into the market by December. The meeting was informed that recharging stations for electric vehicles would also set up on priority basis.
The prime minister announced providing electric motorbikes to outstanding students of government-run schools on the pattern of the government’s laptop distribution scheme. He also asked the Capital Development Authority to prepare a comprehensive plan for electric-powered public transport in Islamabad.