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  • ‘No infrastructure’: Hafeez questions PM Khan over no focus on sports

    ‘No infrastructure’: Hafeez questions PM Khan over no focus on sports

    Former captain of Pakistan cricket team Mohammad Hafeez has some reservations with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government over no clear sports policies for athletes in the country.

    Talking to Cricket Pakistan, the former cricketer said that it is a big question mark on “sportsman” Imran Khan that there are no special arrangments for sports in Pakistan by him.

    “Personally, I am disappointed with the current government,” Hafeez said.

    “No infrastructure has been set where sportsperson in our country can excel. This is a huge setback for me. I know our prime minister is a sportsman and if there is no focus on sports in his tenure, then this is a huge question mark,” Hafeez added.

    The 41-year-old cricketer further talked about Khan’s decison to shut down departmental cricket while he also praised the former head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and Test player Azhar Ali for raising the matter.

    “I am proud of them. They took a big step and sincerely raised concern for others. Pakistan is not yet a welfare state and departments were catering to many players, they were fulfilling financial needs. No alternative has been found yet either.”

    Meanwhile, Hafeez urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) not to call back players from franchise leagues as they receive huge contracts and calling them back damage their reputation.

    “Calling back players from leagues put a dent on a player’s portfolio. Recently, Pakistan players were called back from BBL. I want PCB to revisit this process. When players get NOC, he must play completely as his and Pakistan’s reputation is at stake.” Hafeez emphasised as he has been called back from leagues midway on many occasions in the recent past.

    Hafeez also lauded skipper Babar Azam for brilliantly leading the national team.

    The cricketer also cleared the air about his clashes with the board. “There was no rift with anyone but yes, I had some principle stances on which I don’t compromise. I stood tall against the things and raised my voice. People were unhappy with it and they took some decisions which were felt that my relationships were not on good terms with higher authorities.”

    Hafeez recently announced his retirement from cricket and said that he had planned to announce it after the 2020 World Cup but it got delayed due to Covid and then he announced it after playing the T20 World Cup in 2021.

    Hafeez said that he will happily serve Pakistan cricket in the future in any capacity but won’t run after money as a job-seeker in the cricket board.

    He concluded by hailing Shaheen Shah’s growth as a pacer and is looking forward to playing under him for Lahore Qalandars in the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), starting from January 27 at the National Stadium Karachi.

  • Police physically assault women in Quetta without presence of female constable

    Police physically assault women in Quetta without presence of female constable

    Policemen assaulted three women physically and dragged them towards a police mobile in Quetta in the absence of a female constable.

    Chief Minister of Balochistan, Abdul Quddus Bizenjo took notice of the incident after the video went viral and ordered strict action against the policemen who were involved in the incident.

    The senior superintendent of police (SSP) Quetta has suspended the additional Station House Officer (SHO) Naveed Mukhtar.

    According to the police, one of the girls allegedly escape from her house and was living with two friends.

    Police further revealed that the father of the girl filed a complaint and relatives told the police after spotting her location.

    Defending themselves, the police said that the girls were resisting and hitting them when they were trying to get hold of them.

    Today, the court of a judicial magistrate in Quetta handed over the arrested girls to their parents.

    The video got heavy criticism from netizens regarding the mistreatment of the girls by the police.

    According to the law, a woman cannot be arrested or searched without the presence of a female constable.

  • NCOC bans indoor events in cities with Covid positivity rate over 10%

    NCOC bans indoor events in cities with Covid positivity rate over 10%

    According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), all indoor gatherings and events have been banned in the districts and cities with Covid-19 positivity rate exceeding 10 per cent. However, only outdoor wedding events are allowed to be organised with a maximum of 500 guests.

    The ban will go into effect from January 24 , the NCOC said.

    The decisions were taken after the NCOC held a detailed review of the country’s current coronavirus situation along with the corresponding Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs). The forum differentiated the new NPIs depending on whether districts have Covid-19 positivity rate up to 10 per cent or above.

    The NPIs to be implemented are as follows depending on the positivity rate and specify that they are for fully vaccinated individuals:

    Gatherings

    • Indoor gatherings allowed up to 300 individuals, outdoor up to 500 for districts with positivity up to 10pc
    • Indoor gatherings banned, outdoor up to 300 for districts with positivity rate more than 10pc (with effect from Jan 24)

    Weddings:

    • Indoor weddings allowed up to 300 individuals, outdoor up to 500 for districts with positivity rate up to 10pc
    • Indoor weddings banned, outdoor up to 300 for districts with positivity rate more than 10pc (with effect from Jan 24 and will remain effective till February 15)

    Dining:

    • Indoor and outdoor dining both allowed for districts with positivity rate up to 10pc
    • Indoor dining banned (with effect from Jan 24), outdoor allowed for districts with positivity rate more than 10pc

    Education sector:

    • Education activities will continue for those under and over 12 in districts with positivity rate up to 10pc
    • Education activities will continue with staggered attendance at 50pc capacity for those under 12 and 100pc attendance for those over 12 in districts with positivity rate more than 10pc
    • Those over 12 will need to be fully vaccinated in both situations
    • Vaccination will be mandatory (at least one dose) for those over 12 from Feb 1
    • Aggressive sentinel testing to be carried out for targeted closures in institutes with high disease prevalence
    • Federating units in consultation with health authorities will decide limits for closure of educational institutions

    Gyms, cinemas, shrines, amusement parks:

    • Indoor activities allowed for districts with positivity rate up to 10pc
    • Indoor activities allowed at 50pc capacity for districts with positivity rate more than 10pc

    Sports:

    • All sports activities allowed for districts with positivity rate up to 10pc
    • Ban on contact sports (karate, boxing, martial arts, rugby, water polo, wrestling and kabaddi) for districts with positivity rate more than 10pc

     

    The NCOC decided that markets and business activities will continue without any restrictions. Employers are encouraged to let people work from home where possible.

    Similarly, intercity public transport has been restricted in districts with high coronavirus positivity ratios at 70pc and 80pc in railways. The ban on serving of meals was also maintained for public transport and domestic air travel.

    The curbs come as the country is in the grip of the fifth wave, which is being driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

    It should be noted that in the last 24 hours, the coronavirus positivity ratio in Pakistan was 9.48pc when 5,472 infections were recorded, with Sindh and Punjab leading the charge in new cases reported.

    Owing to a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases, several educational institutions in Islamabad and Karachi have also decided to close all schools to curb the rapid spread of the virus.

  • PML-N’s Khaqan Abbasi knows 22 NA members who want to leave PTI govt

    PML-N’s Khaqan Abbasi knows 22 NA members who want to leave PTI govt

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi while speaking on Geo News programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khandaza Kay Sath’, said, “I know 22 members of the National Assembly who don’t want to remain part of the incumbent government anymore.”

    Abbasi said that if those 22 people step aside, the government will lose its majority in the House.

    Responding to Fawad Chaudhry’s claim that four PML-N leaders are “hell-bent on removing Nawaz Sharif from the party,” Abbasi said: “I am unable to understand Fawad’s statements as he is just trying to seek attention.”

    He said that “no one desires the throne in PML-N”, adding that party leaders “just want the implementation of the Constitution in the country”.

    “I never had the desire to become the prime minister,” Abbasi added.

    The former premier said that the “government itself is walking with the help of crutches and can’t stand without it even for a single day”.

    On being asked why did the four names turn up, Abbasi said the government is lying.

    On the other hand, responding to Abbasi’s comments during the show, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz said that “without taking any names, we had just hinted at four senior leaders of PML-N, and now people can guess themselves who we were referring to.”

    “PML-N is an incompetent party with an incomplete narrative and its leadership lacks democratic thoughts,” added Faraz.

  • Usman Buzdar is ahead of all Chief Ministers in performance: survey

    Usman Buzdar is ahead of all Chief Ministers in performance: survey

    The Institute for Public Opinion Research (IPOR) in its recent survey has found Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar is leading in satisfaction level for developmental works in comparison to other chief ministers, reports The News.

    As per the survey, Buzdar is ahead as 51 per cent of respondents from Punjab are satisfied with him. CM KPK Mahmood Khan ranked second by securing a 48 per cent satisfaction rating. CM Balochistan Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo secured 43 percent while CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah got only a 38 per cent rating.

    The research center surveyed from December 22, 2021, to January 9, 2022, in which they ask the opinion of 3,700 respondents from different provinces.

    About the improvement in the performance of provincial health departments, 72 per cent are satisfied with Buzdar while CM Shah is at last with a 53 per cent rating.

    Similarly, in the education sector 86 per cent of people have shown their satisfaction with CM Punjab and KPK education department drew the appreciation of 80 per cent of respondents.

    In all the sectors, Pakistan People’s Pakistan (PPP) CM Sindh is behind among all the other CMs.

  • PTI spokesperson slammed after implying reduced prices of ‘Shoop Noodles’ shows less inflation

    PTI spokesperson slammed after implying reduced prices of ‘Shoop Noodles’ shows less inflation

    Spokesperson to the Finance Minister, Muzzammil Aslam has shared a screenshot of a message he received from a departmental store. In the message, the supermarket offered reduced prices of a few local commodities.

    Muzzammil while sharing the tweet wrote, “Everyone is talking about inflation but on the other hand, the prices of local commodities are continuously decreasing. Isn’t this an open contradiction?”

    He shared some prices of local products which lowered their prices.

    Netizens slammed the spokesperson for sharing reduced prices of ‘Shoop Noodles’ on Twitter which shows less inflation in Pakistan.

    A netizen replied in the same manner, “Everyone is talking about that the country has no gas but on the other hand, we are doing so much gaslighting every day. Isn’t this an open contradiction?” 

    




    
https://twitter.com/AliMaken/status/1483705646503579655

    




    




    Another user added, “It is a Simple Demand-Supply Crisis.”
    




    


    




    




    Another netizen questioned the intelligence of the person who appointed him as a spokesperson.
    




    


    




    Some users have expressed extreme disappointment with the government’s spokesperson.
    




    


    




    


    




    




    




    


    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Global tourism won’t return to pre-covid levels until 2024
    
			
    Global tourism won’t return to pre-covid levels until 2024
    
			
    

     
    




    With the highly contagious Omicron variant in the picture, global tourism arrivals have further been affected, and will not return to the pre-pandemic levels until 2024, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) said on Tuesday.
    




    The highly contagious Omicron variant, though mild, will “disrupt recovery” for 2022. Last year in 2021, tourism saw a four percent growth over 2020, according to the Madrid-based UN agency’s World Tourism Barometer.
    




    Meanwhile, tourism revenue in 2020 was 72 percent lower than that in 2019.
    




    “The pace of recovery remains slow and uneven across world regions due to varying degrees of mobility restrictions, vaccination rates and traveller confidence,” the UNWTO said in a press release.
    




    In Europe and the Americas, foreign visitor arrivals increased by 19 percent and 17 percent in 2021, respectively, when compared to 2020.
    




    In the Middle East, however, arrivals declined by 24 percent in 2021, while in the Asia-Pacific region, they were 65 percent below the 2020 levels, and 94 percent lower than pre-pandemic levels.
    




    The statement said tourism professionals “see better prospects” for this year after turbulence in the early months because of the Omicron wave.
    




    Many countries are highly dependent on tourism and are eagerly awaiting a return to normal.
    




    “The economic contribution of tourism in 2021 (measured in tourism direct gross domestic product) is estimated at $1.9 trillion (1.68 trillion euros), above the $1.6 trillion in 2020, but still well below the pre-pandemic value of $3.5 trillion,” the statement noted.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Bilawal offers to rejoin PDM but has some conditions
    
			
    Bilawal offers to rejoin PDM but has some conditions
    
			
    

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that there is now a high probability of the Opposition parties working together in the future.
    




    The PPP chairperson while talking to reporters outside the Parliament House on Tuesday said, “If they [Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)] are ready to withdraw their stance on the issue of en-mass resignations and consider my proposal of bringing a no-confidence motion, then certainly there is a possibility that we can work together.”
    




    He said all parties have to play their role. “We have to dislodge the government, no matter the number of marches we have to take.”
    




    He said his party’s reservations regarding the prices of essential commodities being multiplied due to the mini-budget had proved correct as Pakistan had already been facing an economic crisis before the mini-budget, which has now led to a historic price hike, unemployment, and poverty. “People are being crushed under this burden,” he said.
    




    Bilawal Bhutto along with former Prime Minister (PM) Yusuf Raza Gilani, said that they protested inside and outside the Parliament against the mini-budget. They were promised that tax will not be imposed on a few items, but that was false as well.
    




    “The people of Pakistan are demanding that we take to the streets against this government and our CEC has decided that we will take to the streets on February 27,” added Bilawal.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Shahid Afridi comments on Virat Kohli’s decision of resigning as Test captain
    
			
    Shahid Afridi comments on Virat Kohli’s decision of resigning as Test captain
    
			
    

    A day after India’s 2-1 Test series defeat against South Africa, Virat Kohli took to social media platforms and announced his resignation as Test captain. Many believe that Kohli still could have continued at the position for few more years. However, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi does not agree. According to him, Kohli made the right decision as an individual is not able to cope up with much pressure after a certain stage.
    




    Read More – Anushka’s love message for Virat after Test captaincy resignation, Bollywood stars react
    




    Afridi believes Kohli has made a good decision to step down from the captaincy as it provides an opportunity for him to focus on his batting. Kohli had been struggling to perform up to his usual standards over the past couple of years. 
    




    “It’s fine in my opinion. Virat has played enough cricket and led the team well. And I believe this is the correct decision. There comes a stage where you can’t handle pressure, and because of it, your own performances get affected. So, I think he has captained for a long time and at a great level. As a batsman, it’s time he enjoys his cricket,” Afridi said on Samaa Tv.
    




    The incredible batter has been unable to score an international century since 2019.
    




    The 33-year-old cricketer will be seen in action against South Africa in the upcoming ODI series. The batter was rumored to miss the ODI series but he later confirmed his availability for the series.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    EXCLUSIVE: ‘I’m going to fight it out with this woman’, Sharmila Faruqi slams Nadia Khan for trolling her mother
    
			
    EXCLUSIVE: ‘I’m going to fight it out with this woman’, Sharmila Faruqi slams Nadia Khan for trolling her mother
    
			
    

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sharmila Faruqi has slammed Nadia Khan for making a video with Sharmila’s mother, in which the morning show host can be seen mocking Sharmila’s mother while sarcastically praising her makeup. 
    




    Nadia Khan can be seen praising Sharmila’s mother, Anisa for her makeup, jewelry, and clothing.  Nadia asks Anisa where she has learned to do her makeup to which Anisa replied, “Sharmila” referring to her daughter. 
    




    The Current reached out to Sharmila to ask her what happened and what legal action is she going to take against Nadia Khan. 
    




    Sharmila Faruqi, while talking exclusively with The Current expressed her anger saying, “I inboxed [Nadia] and said it is very shameless of you to do this.”
    




    To which Nadia, as per Sharmila, replied, “There is nothing wrong in this. I have not asked anything wrong and I have not done anything wrong. Stop using harsh words with me.”
    




    Sharmila continued by saying, “She is shameless and heartless and it’s very very unfortunate,” adding, “I have a lot of respect for people in showbiz, they work really hard.”
    




    She then said that her mother is a very “simple woman.” She said that she lost her father and her mother lost her husband three months ago. My mother was at Saboor Aly’s wedding.”
    




    “She [Anisa] is trying to survive without her husband,” she said adding, “You [Nadia] don’t have anything else to do so you want to get publicity and ratings by making such videos,” said Sharmila.
    




    Sharmila further said, “Even if there was someone else in place of my mother, I would have taken action.” The PPP leader added that it is very unfortunate that we have stopped respecting our elders in society.”
    




    Sharmila also shared details about what legal steps she is taking. “I’m taking this to the head of cyber crime. I’m going to write them officially today and I’m going to take it to every forum. This is not how things are done.”
    




    “You can not use women or anyone else or even men to ridicule them, just for the sake of your own publicity, and free publicity,” she stated, “I as a woman, as a mother as a daughter will not tolerate this.”
    




    “I’m going to fight it out with this woman.”  She added that even if she has to file a petition in court, she will do it. 
    




    “This is not what we are, this is not what we are taught and this is not our upbringing,” she concluded. 
    




    We have out to Nadia Khan for her comment to which she said that she will post her reply soon.
    




    Watch what Nadia did here. 
    




    
https://twitter.com/naylaamir/status/1483526716815552523?s=21