Ahmed triple strike leaves Pakistan 187-7 in third Test

Ahmed triple strike leaves Pakistan 187-7 in third Test
England's Rehan Ahmed, right, celebrates with teammate after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Aamer Jamal during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on October 25, 2024. (AP)
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Ahmed triple strike leaves Pakistan 187-7 in third Test

Ahmed triple strike leaves Pakistan 187-7 in third Test
  • The 20-year-old knocked over Mohammad Rizwan (25), Salman Agha (one) and Aamer Jamal (14) to enter the lunch break
  • Pakistan’s batting was held together by Saud Shakeel’s unbeaten 72, who was accompanied by Noman Ali on six not out

Rawalpindi: Rehan Ahmed’s three quick wickets turned an evenly poised deciding third Test England’s way on Friday, leaving Pakistan teetering on 187-7 in Rawalpindi.
The 20-year-old knocked over Mohammad Rizwan (25), Salman Agha (one) and Aamer Jamal (14) to enter the lunch break on day two with figures of 3-25. England still lead by 80 runs.
Pakistan’s batting was held together by Saud Shakeel’s unbeaten 72.
He was accompanied by Noman Ali on six not out after no other batter from the home team managed to cross 30.
Pakistan added 114 runs in the extended two-and-a-half-hour session due to Friday prayers.
Shakeel, who reached his eighth Test half-century off 132 balls, has so far hit four boundaries in his fighting knock.
England’s frontline spinners Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir could not extract the same sharp turn from the pitch as rival Sajid Khan, who took 6-128 to dismiss the visitors for 267 on Thursday.
Pakistan resumed the day at 73-3 in search of a lead to press for a series win.
But Shakeel was the only batter able to press on after reaching double figures. He added 53 for the fourth wicket with captain Shan Masood who fell to Bashir for 26.
It was England’s first breakthrough, as Masood edged to slip. Pakistan looked to be getting their innings back on track as Rizwan joined Shakeel and the pair put on 52 for the fifth wicket.
But the introduction of Rehan into the bowling attack derailed their innings.
He trapped Rizwan and Agha leg before in successive overs and then bowled Jamal to give England the edge.
The three-match series is tied at 1-1.


Pakistan Stock Exchange breaches 90,000-mark to reach an all-time high

Pakistan Stock Exchange breaches 90,000-mark to reach an all-time high
Updated 6 sec ago
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Pakistan Stock Exchange breaches 90,000-mark to reach an all-time high

Pakistan Stock Exchange breaches 90,000-mark to reach an all-time high
  • KSE-100 index climbed 1,141, or 1.25 percent, to reach a historic high of 90,087 points
  • Bullish trend fueled by ‘economic stabilization’ and ‘equilibrium in politics,’ analyst says

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday crossed 90,000 points to reach an all-time high during the intra-day trading, with analysts attributing it to economic stabilization and political “equilibrium.”
The benchmark KSE-100 index climbed 1141.43 points, or 1.25 percent, to reach a record high of 90,087.41 points as compared to the previous close of 88,945.98 points.
Analysts say an equilibrium in politics, economic stability and reducing interest rates, both locally and globally, were ushering in liquidity into Pakistani equities.
“If Pakistan continues to stick to its razor-sharp focus on the economy, it may lead to a multi-year boom at the KSE100,” Raza Jafri, head of equities at the Karachi-based Intermarket Securities, told Arab News.
Topline Securities, a leading brokerage house in Pakistan, said the crossing of 90,000-mark by Pakistani stocks was one of the “fastest record gains of 125 percent in the last 18 months.”
The development comes as the South Asian nation’s economic indicators continue to improve after it secured a $7 billion, 37-month bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last month. Pakistan’s central bank also cut its key policy rate by 200 basis points to 17.5 percent in September, making it the third straight reduction since June.
Last year, Pakistan narrowly avoided a sovereign default when it clinched a $3 billion IMF loan program. The country has suffered a prolonged economic crisis that drained its foreign exchange reserves and saw its currency weaken amid double-digit inflation.
 


Pakistani Taliban attack kills 10 police in northwest

Pakistani Taliban attack kills 10 police in northwest
Updated 25 October 2024
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Pakistani Taliban attack kills 10 police in northwest

Pakistani Taliban attack kills 10 police in northwest
  • About 20 to 25 militants launched a heavy assault on a post of the Frontier Constabulary in the Dera Ismail Khan district
  • One policeman was killed in a separate attack carried out on Thursday night, also close to the Afghan border in Khyber district

PESHAWAR: Ten police were shot dead at a check post near the Afghan border, officials said Friday, in an attack claimed by the Pakistan Taliban.

“The intense exchange of fire lasted for nearly an hour. Ten Frontier Constabulary personnel were martyred, and seven were wounded during the attack,” a senior intelligence officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

About 20 to 25 militants launched a heavy assault on a post of the Frontier Constabulary, a police assistance force, in the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Pakistan has seen an increase in militancy since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021, with the Pakistani chapter of the movement carrying out attacks mostly targeting security forces.

A senior official from the Frontier Constabulary also confirmed the details on the condition of anonymity.

The attack was around 70 kilometer (around 43 miles) east of Afghan border.

One policeman was killed in a separate attack carried out on Thursday night, also close to the Afghan border in Khyber district.

Last month a police convoy escorting foreign ambassadors was targeted in road side blast that left a policeman dead.

The Pakistani Taliba historically has roots in Afghanistan and shares the same ideology as the Afghan Taliban.

Islamabad says such attacks are being launched from neighboring Afghanistan by various militant groups, many linked to the TTP, which the Taliban authorities in Kabul deny.


Pakistan to get $3 billion loan from Islamic Trade Financing Corporation

Pakistan to get $3 billion loan from Islamic Trade Financing Corporation
Updated 25 October 2024
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Pakistan to get $3 billion loan from Islamic Trade Financing Corporation

Pakistan to get $3 billion loan from Islamic Trade Financing Corporation
  • The ITFC, a member of Islamic Development Bank Group, aims to advance trade among Organization of Islamic Cooperation members
  • Muhammad Aurangzeb assured the ITFC of his government’s full support in helping diversify the ITFC portfolio in the South Asian country

ISLAMABAD: The Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) will provide Pakistan a loan of $3 billion, the Pakistani government said on Thursday.
The statement came after Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s meeting with a delegation of the ITFC, a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group that aims to advance trade among Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries, in Washington.
Aurangzeb is currently in the US to attend the annual World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) meetings, where global finance leaders have convened to address challenges such as sluggish international growth, managing debt distress and financing the transition to green energy.
“He appreciated ITFC’s support for providing commodity financing worth USD 3 billion through a Framework Agreement over the next three years, including the immediate provision of USD 269 million through a mix of direct financing and syndication,” the Pakistani government’s Press Information Department (PID) said in a statement.
During the meeting, the ITFC delegation, led by its CEO Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, expressed its commitment to diversify its portfolio in Pakistan, according to the PID. The Pakistani finance minister assured his government’s full support in this regard.
Separately, Aurangzeb attended a roundtable with institutional investors organized by Jefferies International, where he briefed the investors on positive economic indicators of Pakistan, according to Pakistani state media.
He also attended a meeting of IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva with finance ministers, central bank governors, and heads of regional financial institutions in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAP) region.
 


Finance minister invites US firms to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan

Finance minister invites US firms to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan
Updated 25 October 2024
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Finance minister invites US firms to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan

Finance minister invites US firms to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan
  • Muhammad Aurangzeb is currently in the US to attend the annual World Bank and IMF meetings
  • Pakistan is seeking to boost trade and investment as it navigates a tricky path to economic recovery

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has invited firms in the United States (US) to explore investment opportunities in the South Asian country, the Pakistani government said late Thursday, amid Islamabad’s push to boost investment and trade to support its weak economy.
Pakistan, which recently secured a $7 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has been making attempts to overcome an economic meltdown that sent its foreign exchange reserves to critically low levels, led to currency devaluation and high inflation.
The Pakistani finance minister is currently in the US to attend the annual World Bank and IMF meetings, where global finance leaders have convened to address challenges such as sluggish international growth, managing debt distress and financing the transition to green energy.
On Thursday, Aurangzeb had a luncheon with members of the US-Pakistan Business Council (USPBC), which aims to enhance trade and investment between the US and Pakistan, in Washington, according to the Press Information Department (PID) of the Pakistani government.
“The minister noted that the presence of over 80 US enterprises in Pakistan reflects the profit potential of a 240 million strong market,” the PID said in a statement. “He invited US firms to take advantage of the government’s investment-friendly policies and the one-window facility offered by the Special Investment Facilitation Council.”
The finance minister acknowledged the contributions of the USPBC in strengthening trade and investment ties between Pakistan and the US, reiterating the prime minister’s invitation to the council to lead a business delegation to Pakistan this year to explore mutually beneficial partnerships.
Pakistan has increasingly sought trade and investment cooperation with allies and beyond in recent months as it navigates the macroeconomic crisis that has drained its resources. The South Asian country has had a flurry of high-level exchanges with Saudi Arabia, Japan, Azerbaijan, Qatar and Central Asian countries in a bid to support its $350 billion fragile economy.
Separately, Aurangzeb attended a series of investor fora organized by Citibank, Standard Chartered and JP Morgan in Washington. During these interactions, he briefed the investors on the Pakistani economy’s performance for the last fiscal year.
“The minister highlighted key reforms in taxation, energy, SOEs [state-owned enterprises], privatization, and right-sizing of the government,” the PID said. “He emphasized the role of provincial governments in raising the tax-to-GDP ratio and discussed the National Fiscal Pact signed by the Federal Government.” 
He also addressed investor questions about the Sovereign Wealth Fund, Special Economic Zones, and Power Purchase Agreements being negotiated with Chinese independent power producers.


In Pakistan’s first AI-enabled school, students come armed with cell phones instead of books

In Pakistan’s first AI-enabled school, students come armed with cell phones instead of books
Updated 25 October 2024
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In Pakistan’s first AI-enabled school, students come armed with cell phones instead of books

In Pakistan’s first AI-enabled school, students come armed with cell phones instead of books
  • At Rehan School, students seek knowledge from Ted Talks, podcasts and video interviews
  • Breaking free from traditional methods, pupils are encouraged to employ skills to earn money

KARACHI: Around a dozen students stay engrossed in their lessons in a brightly lit classroom in Karachi. But instead of poring over books or scribbling in their notebooks, they listen intently to podcasts on laptop screens in Pakistan’s first artificial intelligence-enabled school.

Founded in January 2022, Rehan School is part of Supertec Foundation, a corporate social responsibility initiative of the US-based telecommunication company, Super Technologies Inc. The school breaks free from traditional teaching methods and imparts knowledge via technological methods, employing AI to make educational content available in easy-to-learn videos for students.

The school has five campuses in total, two in Pakistan’s commercial hub of Karachi, one in eastern Khanewal city, one in Islamabad and an online school.

In a country where rote learning is employed in thousands of educational institutions and varsities seldom make use of teaching resources other than textbooks, Rehan School has ventured into unchartered territory by using podcasts, Ted Talks and AI tech to impart education.

“Our basic aim is to build confidence, to develop their skills and also to work on their listening power and communication skills, which can be developed through TEDx, interviews and Faceless [software],” Altaf Hussain, the principal of Rehan School’s Korangi campus in Karachi, told Arab News.

The two-story building is located in Karachi’s low-income Korangi Industrial area, surrounded by informal settlements and factories. But inside, it’s a different world altogether.

The principal’s office, for one, is themed after the International Space Station with its walls covered with a panaflex containing large images of planets and astronauts hovering in space.

“This room conveys the message that any child who comes to Rehan School will ascend in the future,” Hussain explained.

'THEY KNOW EVERYTHING'

Next to the principal’s office is a room for vice principals, one of whom is a student. Appointing a vice principal of the school from the 8-15 age bracket is aimed at instilling leadership qualities in the students, Hussain said.

“In the classroom, the responsibility of teaching lies with the students, not the teachers,” he said, adding that students are required to step into the role of a teacher for a week.
Not only that, students are also encouraged to craft their own syllabi.

“Here children make their own syllabi, select their tasks and make their schedules themselves,” Misbah Altaf, one of the 25 teachers, or “facilitators” as they are known here, told Arab News.

“They know everything.”

At the school, students progress through eight levels, starting with activities designed to enhance public speaking and creative expression such as Ted Talk-themed presentations and interviews.

Before advancing to Level 2, each student must earn $100 through freelancing before advancing to the next level.

Another distinctive feature is the “Corridor of Inspiration,” which features plaques containing inspirational quotes from some of the world’s most famous personalities, such as Malala Yousafzai, Einstein or Mother Teresa.

'WASTING TIME, STUDYING OUTDATED MATERIAL'

And the students can’t have enough of the technology.

Parvaish Khan, 15, said she was taught by her mother and used the Internet to educate herself before studying at Rehan School.

“But after joining the school, I learned how to properly use it,” she told Arab News, adding that she was learning about prompt engineering, a practice for designing inputs for AI tools.

Khan showed Arab News her project, a website featuring interviews of notable figures.

For 13-year-old Abdul Ahad, the “bagless” Rehan School is a breath of fresh air. His previous school required him to bring several books that made him wear a heavy backpack.

“Now, we mostly just carry a laptop, a charger, a mobile phone, and the mobile charger— these are all we need,” Ahad said.

And he doesn’t miss his former school’s outdated methods either.

“Learning here made me realize that in my previous school, we were wasting time and studying outdated material, just memorizing to pass tests,” he said.