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Oxford University excludes ex-Pakistan PM Khan’s name from list of chancellor candidates

Oxford University excludes ex-Pakistan PM Khan’s name from list of chancellor candidates
People walk outside the College of All Souls, in Oxford, on October 20, 2023. (AFP/File)
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Updated 16 October 2024
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Oxford University excludes ex-Pakistan PM Khan’s name from list of chancellor candidates

Oxford University excludes ex-Pakistan PM Khan’s name from list of chancellor candidates
  • Jailed former Pakistan PM Imran Khan applied to run for chancellor’s post in August this year
  • Khan studied politics, philosophy and economics from Oxford’s Keble College during the 1970s
Updated 16 October 2024
Shahjahan Khurram
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ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has been effectively ruled out from running for Oxford University’s chancellor after the prestigious institution released a list of 38 candidates on Wednesday who will contest the election for the post, with his name not making the cut. 

Khan, who served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018-2022, applied to be Oxford University’s chancellor in August this year. The former premier has been in jail since August 2023 on various charges from corruption to inciting violence that he says are politically motivated and designed to keep him from power.

Khan is a graduate of Oxford’s Keble College where he studied politics, philosophy, and economics in the 1970s while winning honors for the university’s cricket team and leading Pakistan to cricket World Cup glory in 1992. His connection to Oxford and a CV that includes an eight-year tenure as chancellor of the University of Bradford made him a prominent candidate for the post. 

“The first round of voting will take place during Week 3 of Michaelmas Term (week commencing 28 October),” Oxford University said on its website. “The top 5 candidates will go on to a second round, to take place during the Week 6 of Michaelmas Term (week commencing 18 November).”

The chancellor is elected by the members of convocation, which includes all alumni of the university who have been admitted to a degree. To be eligible to run for the position, a candidate must be nominated by at least two members of convocation.

The election process is generally open to distinguished individuals who have made significant contributions to public life, academia or other fields.

The position of chancellor of Oxford has existed since 1224. A largely ceremonial role, past officeholders include figures such as Oliver Cromwell, the Duke of Wellington, and former prime minister Harold Macmillan. 

Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, Khan’s close aide and a member of his PTI party, described Oxford’s decision to exclude the former premier’s name from the candidates’ list as “extremely unfortunate.”

“My lawyers have written to the university asking for their reasons,” Bukhari wrote on social media platform X. “We had taken several lawyers and barristers’ opinions prior to his application.”

He wished all candidates luck on Khan’s behalf, saying it was a “loss” for the university to present itself as a “global trendsetting institution.”

Topics: Imran Khan PTI Oxford University Oxford University Chancellor Election 2024 Arab News Pakistan

Pakistan calls for direct flights to Russia amid push for increased connectivity

Pakistan calls for direct flights to Russia amid push for increased connectivity
Updated 16 October 2024
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Pakistan calls for direct flights to Russia amid push for increased connectivity

Pakistan calls for direct flights to Russia amid push for increased connectivity
  • Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif meets Russia counterpart at SCO summit’s sidelines in Pakistan’s capital 
  • Islamabad has been eyeing increased connectivity with Central Asian states, Russia for economic progress
Updated 16 October 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed the need for direct flights between Pakistan and Russia to enhance connectivity between the two states, his office said, as Islamabad warms up to regional countries in a bid to improve its economic prospects. 

Pakistan has recently pushed for enhanced regional connectivity with Central Asian countries and Russia in its bid to unlock mutual economic opportunities, particularly in energy, trade and infrastructure. The South Asian country hopes it can tap into its tourism potential and use its strategic geographical location to improve trade and cooperation with Russia and other states as it fights to ward off a prolonged economic crisis. 

Sharif met Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit of the Heads of Government in Islamabad on Oct. 16. Both leaders discussed bilateral ties and economic prospects, Sharif’s office said. 

“He (Sharif) also emphasized the need for direct flights between Russia and Pakistan for enhanced connectivity between the two countries,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement. 

The two premiers noted the positive momentum in Pakistan-Russia ties over the past two decades. Sharif and Mishustin spoke about bilateral cooperation and agreed to pursue “robust dialogue” and cooperation in trade, industry, energy, connectivity, science, technology and education sectors, the PMO said. 

Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthen political, economic, and defense ties with Russia. The two leaders also agreed to enhance cooperation at different international forums, including the United Nations and SCO. 

COLD WAR RIVALS

Pakistan and Russia, once Cold War rivals, have warmed up to each other in recent years through regular business and trade interactions. 

Islamabad’s ties with Russia also saw a significant improvement in 2023 after Pakistan started purchasing Russian crude oil at a discount rate. The development came after geopolitical tensions almost doubled the fuel prices in Pakistan, forcing the South Asian country to opt for cheaper sources of fuel.

Last week, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari met Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of an international forum in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, where they pledged to further strengthen bilateral ties.

In September, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk visited Islamabad on a brief visit, seeking to expand trade and investment ties with Pakistan.

Topics: Pakistan Russia Ties

In veiled dig at West, China-led SCO calls for countering protectionist policies, sanctions

In veiled dig at West, China-led SCO calls for countering protectionist policies, sanctions
Updated 16 October 2024
Reuters
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In veiled dig at West, China-led SCO calls for countering protectionist policies, sanctions

In veiled dig at West, China-led SCO calls for countering protectionist policies, sanctions
  • China and West have been at loggerheads over tariffs imposed on Chinese products
  • Shanghai Cooperation Organization says protectionist trade measures contrary to WTO rules
Updated 16 October 2024
Reuters

ISLAMABAD: A China-led 10-state regional group criticized what it called protectionist trade measures on Wednesday, part of an intensifying standoff between Beijing and Western countries over tariffs on Chinese products.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a Eurasian security and political group, also hit out at “unilateral sanctions” as member states Iran and Russia face curbs on trade.

The criticism came in a joint statement, following a heads of government meeting of the SCO in Islamabad, signed by 10 countries, including China, Russia, Iran, India and host Pakistan.

The statement said that the 10 member states, represented by seven prime ministers, “consider it important to continue joint efforts to counter protectionist trade measures that are contrary to WTO rules.”

The United States and Canada have increased tariffs on Chinese products such as electric vehicles, aluminum and steel, and the European Union is set to follow suit. Beijing has termed the moves discriminatory, and responded with similar actions as the standoff intensifies.

The SCO also said that “unilateral application of sanctions” is against international law and has an impact on third countries.

Russia and Iran, both members of the SCO, face sanctions from the West. Both possess some of the world’s largest energy resources.

Sanctions have meant that smaller countries have shied away from trade with the two, even as larger more influential economies, such as China and India, continue to purchase energy from them.

Energy-starved Pakistan does not import gas or fuel from neighboring Iran despite its cost-effectiveness, and a gas pipeline between the two has stalled due to Islamabad fearing US sanctions.

’EXPAND BRI’

Earlier at the meeting, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for the expansion of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

“Flagship projects like the Belt and Road Initiative of President Xi Jinping ... should be expanded focusing on developing road, rail and digital infrastructure that enhances integration and cooperation across our region,” Sharif said in his speech as the chair of the meeting.

The BRI is a $1 trillion plan for global infrastructure and energy networks that China launched a decade ago to connect Asia with Africa and Europe through land and maritime routes.

More than 150 countries, including Russia, have signed up to participate in it.

Beijing’s rivals see the BRI as a tool for China to spread its geopolitical and economic influence.

Western countries, under the G7 platform, last year announced a $600 billion rival connectivity infrastructure development plan.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a part of the BRI and has seen Beijing pump in billions of dollars into the South Asian country for road networks, a strategic port and an airport. 

Topics: SCO summit 2024

Pakistani fintech ABHI secures $15 million investment to expand services in UAE 

Pakistani fintech ABHI secures $15 million investment to expand services in UAE 
Updated 16 October 2024
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Pakistani fintech ABHI secures $15 million investment to expand services in UAE 

Pakistani fintech ABHI secures $15 million investment to expand services in UAE 
  • UAE-based fintech investors Shorooq Partners, Amplify Growth Partnership provide $15 million to ABHI through credit facility
  • ABHI says fintech has provided $55 million in earned wage disbursement services to over 545,000 transactions in UAE till date 
Updated 16 October 2024
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani fintech ABHI secured a whopping $15 million in debt financing through a credit facility by Shorooq partners and Amplify Growth Partnership companies to expand its operations in the United Arab Emirates, a press release issued by the fintech said on Wednesday. 
ABHI is a Pakistani fintech company that provides employers an opportunity to withdraw their earned salary any day through its Earned Wage Access facility and other products. Founded in 2021, ABHI has been serving customers in Pakistan, UAE, and Bangladesh through its credit-bridging products. Last year, it was selected as one of the Future 100 companies of the UAE. 
UAE-based investor Amplify Growth Partnership Amplify funds visionary entrepreneurs and their venture capital partners with flexible growth debt capital, focusing particularly on tech-driven companies who reshape the Gulf Cooperation Council and Middle East and North American areas. Shorooq Partners, also headquartered in the UAE, is a leading alternative investment manager in the MENA region. 
“Abhi, a leading fintech company seeking to enhance financial inclusion for employees and small and medium-sized enterprises (MENAP) in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan (MENAP) region, has secured $15 million in debt financing through a credit facility led by Shorooq Partners and Amplify Growth Partnership,” a press release from ABHI said. 
It said the funding reinforces ABHI’s leadership position in the region’s rapidly evolving fintech sector. 
“This funding will enable ABHI to expand its operations and provide paid services to meet the needs of the country’s workforce,” it said, adding that the fintech has provided approximately $55 million in earned wage disbursement services to over 545,000 transactions in the UAE till date.
ABHI CEO and Co-founder Omair Ansari described the investment as a “strong vote of confidence from prominent fintech investors.” 
“With this funding, we are ready to expand our impact, ensuring that every employee, regardless of role, has the financial flexibility they need to succeed,” he said. 
Nathan Cowan, the head of private credit at Shorooq Partners, hoped the funding would enhance financial inclusion and facilitate disbursement of wages earned in UAE through innovative technology. 
“With the support of Shorook and Amplify, Abhi is poised to accelerate its growth and become a leading innovator in the region,” Cowan said.

Topics: Abhi Pakistani fintech

Pakistani health practitioners alarmed over surge in chikungunya, diphtheria infections in Sindh

Pakistani health practitioners alarmed over surge in chikungunya, diphtheria infections in Sindh
Updated 16 October 2024
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Pakistani health practitioners alarmed over surge in chikungunya, diphtheria infections in Sindh

Pakistani health practitioners alarmed over surge in chikungunya, diphtheria infections in Sindh
  • At least 34 people have died this year from mosquito-borne diphtheria infections in Sindh, as per official data 
  • Health practitioners say official figures massively underreported, call for increased government interventions
Updated 16 October 2024
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Pakistani health practitioners on Wednesday expressed alarm over a surge in cases of chikungunya and diphtheria diseases this year in the southern Sindh province, calling on the masses to adopt preventive measures and for government interventions to keep people safe. 
At least 34 people have died this year in Pakistan’s Sindh province due to diphtheria, a highly contagious and infectious disease that causes breathing and swallowing problems. In 2024, 184 suspected cases of the disease have been reported in Sindh from January to September, up from 155 in the same period last year. 
The southern port city of Karachi recorded 82 suspected cases of diphtheria this year, down from 125 in 2023,a s per official data. Other Sindh divisions reported 102 cases, a significant increase from 30 last year. 
Experts believe the 34 deaths linked to diphtheria are massively underreported.
“Karachi per se has seen localized outbreaks this year and last year. There have been clusters of cases,” Professor Dr. Fatima Mir, a pediatrician at the city’s Agha Khan Hospital, told Arab News. She shared that the first diphtheria outbreak in Pakistan occurred in 2013, with sporadic localized outbreaks taking place between 2017 and 2022.
In 2022, nearly 1,000 cases were reported nationwide out of which only 82 were confirmed by laboratory results, she added.
“Diphtheria is one of those infections in which in an outbreak situation, even vaccinated children are not completely protected,” Dr. Mir explained. 
Waqar Bhatti, a senior health journalist, described the surge in cases of both chikungunya and diphtheria cases as alarming. Contrary to official figures, he said diphtheria this year caused the deaths of over 100 children in Karachi. 
“This surge is being attributed to failures in routine immunization efforts as the disease is largely preventable with vaccination,” Bhatti said, adding that the city’s health facilities are facing a severe shortage of the life-saving Diphtheria Anti-Toxin (DAT) necessary to treat infected individuals.
“Hospitals, particularly the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital, are struggling to cope with the influx of cases and authorities are facing criticism for not adequately addressing the vaccine supply gaps,” he added. 
CHIKUNGUNYA’S ‘SIGNIFICANT RISE’
Cases of dengue and chikungunya, another infection caused by mosquitoes, have surged in Karachi this year as per official data. Health practitioners blame poor sanitation, stagnant water, and insufficient mosquito control efforts in the city for the rise in the number of cases. 
From May to September, 894 suspected cases of chikungunya, with 164 confirmed positive out of a total of 761 screened ones, were reported from Karachi. Health practitioners and experts say the numbers are underreported. 
“We can’t call it an outbreak since it’s not life threating but there is significance increase in cases of chikungunya since 2018 when Malir, one of seven districts of the city, had witnessed a massive surge,” Dr. Muhammad Inam Khan, an associate professor in medicine at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, said.
He added that the disease has spread across the city and if not contained, might spread to other parts of the country.
“Dengue was first reported in Karachi but it spread in other parts of the country,” Khan warned, calling for fumigation to be carried out in various parts of the city. “Chikungunya also needs to be controlled.”
Dr. Muhammad Omer Sultan, a general physician at Dow University of Health Sciences, said that if on average five chikungunya patients used to be brought to the hospital’s outpatient department, that number has now increased to 40.
“Of these majority are chikungunya cases,” he explained, calling on people to protect themselves from mosquito bites. 

Topics: chikungunya Diphtheria

England 239-6 in second Test after Sajid strikes for Pakistan

England 239-6 in second Test after Sajid strikes for Pakistan
Updated 16 October 2024
(AFP)
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England 239-6 in second Test after Sajid strikes for Pakistan

England 239-6 in second Test after Sajid strikes for Pakistan
  • Spinner takes three wickets in space of 10 deliveries during final session
  • England lead series 1-0 after winning first Test by an innings and 47 runs
Updated 16 October 2024
(AFP)

MULTAN: Pakistan spinner Sajid Khan took three wickets in the space of 10 deliveries including centurion Ben Duckett to leave England on 239-6 in the second Test in Multan on Wednesday.
An absorbing second day’s play on a turning pitch ultimately belonged to the hosts, who lead by 127 runs after their first-innings 366.
England had been cruising nicely at 211-2 when Sajid removed Joe Root (34), Duckett (114) and Harry Brook (nine) in the final session.
From the other end, fellow spinner Noman Ali dismissed England skipper Ben Stokes for one as a suddenly rattled England lost four wickets in the space of 14 runs.
At the close, Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse were at the crease with 12 and two respectively.
With the Multan pitch — which was also used for the first Test — offering sharp spin, the home team will be looking for a lead in the first innings for a series-levelling win.
England lead the three-match series 1-0 following their innings and 47 run win in the first Test.
In all, 11 wickets fell on the day with Sajid taking 4-86 and Noman 2-75.
Sajid bowled first Test triple century-maker Brook with a sharp turning delivery while Root — who smashed 262 in the last match — was bowled off an inside edge while sweeping.
Duckett scored aggressively before edging a drive off Sajid to the slip where Salman Agha took a sharp catch.
Before England’s slide it was Duckett who dominated, cracking 16 boundaries in his knock during which he also crossed 2,000 runs in his 28th Test.
Duckett added 73 for the opening stand with Zak Crawley (27), 52 for the second with Ollie Pope (29) and another solid 86 for the next with Root.
He swept spinner Agha for a boundary to reach his fourth Test century off just 120 deliveries, having completed his half-century off just 47 balls.
The hosts used Sajid in the second over as they chased an early England wicket but opener Crawley held out twice.
At 49-0 he survived a run-out when Sajid removed the stumps before grabbing the ball with the England opener out of his crease having being sent back by Duckett.
On 24 Crawley overturned a leg-before decision by New Zealand umpire Chris Gaffaney off Sajid before his luck ran out three runs later.
Crawley was finally caught behind off left-arm spinner Noman as the home team successfully reviewed a not-out decision by Sri Lankan umpire Kumar Dharmasena.
Earlier, Pakistan’s tail had frustrated England by adding 107 runs after resuming at 259-5, with Jamal and Noman adding an invaluable 49 runs for the ninth wicket.
But from 358-8 at lunch Jamal was dismissed off the very first ball after the interval, bowled by Brydon Carse, who finished with 3-50.
Spinner Jack Leach ended Noman’s 32-run knock by having him caught in the deep by Carse to finish with 4-114.

Topics: Pakistan cricket England Pakistan series Multan Test

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