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Tag: Pakistan

  • Indian government has apprehensions about participation in 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan

    Indian government has apprehensions about participation in 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan

    Pakistan has recently been awarded the rights to hosting the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025. Just a day has passed and the Indian government expressed apprehensions about participation in the international tournament. India’s Sports Minister and Former BCCI President, Anurag Thakur on Wednesday, said that the Indian government will monitor the security situation at the time in Pakistan before taking a decision on whether the India team will travel for the eight-team global tournament.

    “The Indian government had earlier also made its decision,” Thakur said while talking to reporters in Delhi on Wednesday. “When such global tournaments happen several factors are considered.”

    He added: “Even in the past, you would have seen many countries have pulled out to go there (Pakistan) and play because the situation there is not normal. Security is the main challenge there, like teams have been attacked in the past, which is a concern. So when the time comes, the Indian government will take a decision depending on the circumstances then.”

    Read More – Threatening e-mail was sent to New Zealand cricket team from India: Fawad

    The Champions Trophy is the first ICC tournament that will be hosted in Pakistan since the 1996 men’s ODI World Cup which was co-hosted by two other countries: India and Sri Lanka. No Indian team has played cricket in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup.

    The two neighbours have not played any bilateral cricket in Pakistan since Rahul Dravid’s side travelled to Pakistan in 2005-06 for a full tour comprising three Tests and five ODIs. Pakistan toured India for a reciprocal tour in 2007-08 but the strained political equation between their governments since then has restricted ties to one white-ball bilateral series in 2012-13 in India and games between the two in ICC tournaments. Pakistan traveled to India to play in the 2011 ODI World Cup semi-final and later to participate in the 2016 T20 World Cup.

    The 2023 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played in India during October and November. Earlier, the global tournament was shifted from India to UAE and Oman citing fears of the second wave of Covid-19 in the country.

  • Joint parliamentary session: All you need to know about what happened

    Joint parliamentary session: All you need to know about what happened

    The much anticipated joint parliamentary session on Wednesday left dark clouds over the future of the country’s legislation system.

    Number game of parliamentarians:

    The government needed a majority in the joint sitting of houses to pass bills where the total strength was 440 members.

    The party position in parliament showed that the treasury had a majority of just two votes if the two Houses were combined together. According to party position, the number of Opposition members in the 440-member joint House came to 219 against 221 treasury members, 221 members of the government and its allies were present with 213 members of the Opposition.

    Bills to be reviewed:

    More than a dozen bills were presented in parliament.

    The major bills: Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Voting rights to overseas Pakistanis were passed in the absence of Opposition.

    The other bills include:

    The Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Bill

    The Hyderabad Institute for Technical and Management Sciences Bill, 2021

    The State Bank of Pakistan Banking Services Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021

    The International Court of Justice (Review and Re-consideration) Bill, 2021

    Security arrangements:

    The in-house security of the National Assembly (NA) was made to stand in front of the Speaker dice to prevent the Opposition members from reaching the dice and cause a commotion.

    Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) leader Hina Rabbani Khar termed the situation as “martial law”.

    https://twitter.com/Hina_RKhar/status/1460907005141467141?s=20

    Ruckus in NA:

    During voting, things got heated up from both sides.

    In a video, PPP’s Qadir Mandokhel can be seen involved in a fight with the government representatives.

    The decorum of the House couldn’t stay still, copies of the agenda books were torn, pieces of paper were thrown at Speaker NA Asad Qaiser.

    A heated exchange of words took place between Qaiser and parliamentarians.

    Qaiser lashing out at the parliamentarians. “Stay within your limits, mend your way of talking.”

    Opposition walkout:

    The Opposition walked out of the House giving the government a chance to pass the bills. They argued that the Opposition’s votes counted were fewer than actual numbers and eventually walked out.

    Session now led by Senate Chairman:

    Speaker Asad Qaiser will no longer be chairing the proceedings after the passage of important legislation. Instead, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani will lead parliamentary proceedings.

    Reaction:

    Twitterati reacted to the heated situation in parliament.

  • ‘I am the spokesperson of the cabinet, words are not my own’: Fawad Chaudhry apologises to ECP

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has apologised to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) for his disrespectful remarks against the institution, reports Geo News.

    The minister arrived at the ECP today for the hearing before a two-member bench comprising ECP members Nisar Ahmed Durrani and Shah Mohammad Jatoi. During today’s hearing, the minister told members that he is a lawyer himself and does “not want to get caught up in show-cause notices”.

    The show-cause notices were sent in October to Fawad over calling ECP an “Opposition’s mouthpiece” and Federal Minister for Railways Azam Khan Swati for accusing ECP of always “rigging polls” and his statement that “such institutions should be set on fire”.

    However, according to Swati’s co-counsel, he could not appear for the hearing as he was busy with the Senate proceedings and asked for more time, adding that a reply would be filed by tomorrow.

    Chaudhry, after the hearing, said, “I am sorry, I apologise for my words.”

    “I am the spokesperson of the cabinet. At times, I say things but the words are not my own,” he added while saying that he personally respects the CEC and did not abuse anyone.

    The members of the election commission directed Chaudhry to submit his apology in writing and warned that charges would be framed on the next hearing whether a reply was submitted or not and adjourned it to December 3.

    Before the show-cause notices, the election commission had issued notices to the two ministers on September 14, asking them to provide evidence about the allegations made by them against ECP and the CEC.

    Later, on September 23, Chaudhry had sou­ght six weeks to submit a reply but was given three weeks, which ended on October 19. However, Swati chose not to respond at all to the ECP notice. The ECP had then issued a notice to Chaudhry asking him to appear before it on October 27 but neither of them had turned up for the October 27 hearing, prompting the ECP to issue a show-cause notice for November 16 (today).

  • Pakistan names 20-member squad for Bangladesh Tests, including Imam

    Pakistan names 20-member squad for Bangladesh Tests, including Imam

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced 20-member squad for Bangladesh Test match series. Opener Imam-ul-Haq is making a comeback to the national team.

    The opener has been recalled on the back of a blistering form in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he has so far amassed 488 runs in five innings. Middle-order hitter Kamran Ghulam and off-spinner Bilal Asif likewise track down a spot in the 20-part crew.

    Bilal Asif has replaced leg-spinner Yasir Shah who is yet to fully recover from the thumb injury he suffered while playing in the domestic T20 tournament. Kamran also returns to the squad after being left out during Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies. Pacers Haris Rauf and Shahnawaz Dahani have been left out and will be allowed to travel back to Pakistan after the T20I leg of the tour.

    The first Test will take place in Chittagong from November 26 with the second match taking place in Dhaka between December 4-8.

    Pakistan squad:

    Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Bilal Asif, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zahid Mahmood

  • Fazl summons meeting to finalise PDM’s anti-govt strategy, Nawaz will attend

    Fazl summons meeting to finalise PDM’s anti-govt strategy, Nawaz will attend

    Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader Hafiz Hamdullah disclosed that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) head Maulana Fazlur Rehman had called for a virtual meeting, which is reportedly to finalise its anti-government strategy today (Monday), reports Geo News.

    Hamdullah said leaders of the Opposition alliance will consult each other on anti-government protests and finalise PDM’s strategy. 

    Major political figures will participate in the meeting, which includes former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, Former Chief Minister (CM) of Balochistan Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Aftab Sherpao, Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, Professor Sajid Mir, and Shah Owais Noorani.

    The official Twitter handle of PML-N shared a glimpse of the meeting.

    The meeting will discuss important issues such as the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), electoral reforms, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance, and granting the right to vote to overseas Pakistanis. 

    The PDM has started its anti-government protests. The stage will be set in Karachi first. The next one will be held in Quetta on November 17 and in Peshawar on November 20.

  • ‘Nawaz can only come back to Pakistan in a coffin just like his ancestors’: PTI’s Ghulam Sarwar

    Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif can only come back to Pakistan in a coffin.

    While responding to a question that there are speculations about Nawaz’s return to Pakistan, Ghulam Sarwar commented, “If Nawaz comes back alive, he would go straight to jail. He can only come back in a coffin just like his ancestors.”

    The former PM has been in London since 2019 for his medical treatment.

    Commenting on the recent Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and the government’s negotiations, Ghulam Sarwar stated that this deal is in the best of public interest and their security.

    Recently, the Punjab government removed TLP Chief Saad Hussain Rizvi’s name from the Fourth Schedule — a list of proscribed individuals who are suspected of terrorism or sectarianism under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997.

  • ‘No smog in Lahore for last two years’: PTI’s Muhammad Rizwan

    ‘No smog in Lahore for last two years’: PTI’s Muhammad Rizwan

    Provincial Minister of Punjab for Environment Protection Muhammad Rizwan claimed that there has been no smog in Punjab, including Lahore, for the last two years.

    According to the minister, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Lahore which is being observed nowadays is different and the actual rating as per Pakistan Meteorological Department is 134.

    Muhammad Rizwan, while speaking to City 42 News, said that people don’t know how to install air quality monitors. He announced that the administration is starting a plan in which people will be given education and training related to this.

    Furthermore, while maintaining his stance, he stated: “Today our department has recorded AQI 134 mark while Town Hall has 192 and Model Town has 186.”

    After this, the host of the programme said that today (Friday) the city’s quality index was at 337 and previously Lahore was on the list of the most polluted cities.

    To which he replied, ”I can say with full confidence that there has been no smog in the last two years in Punjab, including Lahore.”

    He said that even if there is no fog, the presence of smog was not possible.

    On November 13, Lahore recorded a particulate matter (PM) rating of 364, which classifies the city under the “hazardous” category of air quality.

    However, today Lahore stands at second place after Delhi and has recorded AQI 209 mark while Karachi is at fifth place with the 175 mark.

  • Govt plans to provide gas three times a day for cooking only

    The government has decided to provide gas to the residential sector only three times a day for cooking purposes throughout December to March to minimise gas shortages in Pakistan, reports Dawn.

    “Gas to residential sector shall be provided three times a day for cooking only,” the meeting was informed by the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Divi­sion), who added that Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) diversion to domestic consumers is to be made bare minimum for stability.

    Gas supply to power and fertiliser sectors of the country is expected to remain stable. Their supply and demand would remain unchanged.

    This was all decided by Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) during a meeting presided over by Minister for Planning and Develop­ment Asad Umar. This is part of the Gas Load Management Plan for winter 2021-22, which was presented to the committee.

    It should be noted that the world is experiencing a fuel and gas shortage as recently it has been reported that the United States (US) government urged its citizens to leave Haiti because of the severe lack of fuel and closing down of gas stations in the country that have affected hospitals, schools, and banks.

    During the meeting, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) also presented their additional measures against illegal gains and other revised rules according to which fines have been revised for licensees. The maximum penalty for major violations now starts from Rs10 million to Rs500 million.

    Like every year, Pakistan is expected to be hit by a major gas crisis, reports Geo News.

    One of the reasons is that local discoveries of gas have witnessed a dip, so the domestic gas reserves are reduced, the sources explained, adding that the local gas supply stood at 4,300 mmcfd a few years back but now it has depleted and stands at 3,300 mmcfd. 

  • Taliban given a clear message to uphold international legal obligations: Troika meeting

    Taliban given a clear message to uphold international legal obligations: Troika meeting

    A meeting of the Troika Plus, hosted by Pakistan, including China, Russia, and the United States (US), was held in Islamabad on Thursday.

    The Taliban government in Afghanistan was given a clear message to uphold its international legal obligations, including universally accepted principles of international law and fundamental human rights, reports Geo News.

    During the meeting, alluding to the US, Pakistan said efforts should be made to enable Afghanistan to access its frozen funds, which would dovetail into efforts to regenerate economic activities and move the Afghan economy towards stability and sustainability.

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi took to Twitter and said, “The meeting reflects our common desire to see a peaceful, stable, unified, sovereign & prosperous Afghanistan; a shared responsibility.”

    A joint statement issued after a meeting of the Troika Plus stressed that the representative government should protect the rights of all Afghans and provide equal opportunities to women and girls to participate in all aspects of Afghan society.

    The forum agreed to continue practical engagement with the Taliban to encourage the implementation of moderate and prudent policies that could help achieve a stable and prosperous Afghanistan as soon as possible.

    Condemning in the strongest terms the recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, the forum called on the Taliban to cut ties with all international terrorist groups, dismantle and eliminate them in a decisive manner, and deny space to any terrorist organisation operating inside the country.

    The participants reaffirmed their expectation that the Taliban will fulfil their commitment to preventing the use of Afghan territory by terrorists against its neighbours, other countries in the region and the rest of the world.

  • No specific reaction to Pakistan-TTP talks, says US official

    No specific reaction to Pakistan-TTP talks, says US official

    The United States (US) has refused to give a specific reaction when asked about Pakistan and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) deal, reports Dawn.

    The question was raised at the US State Department briefing where a journalist reminded Spokesperson Ned Price that the US still considered the TTP a terrorist outfit and asked him to comment on it.

    Price replied, “If we have a specific reaction on the Pakistani dialogue with the Pakistani Taliban, we will, of course, let you know,” while adding that Washington is in regular contact with Pakistan regarding their approach to Afghanistan.

    “We have heard both publicly and privately from our Pakistani counterparts that they too have an interest in seeing to it that the gains, including among Afghanistan’s minorities, including among its women and girls, over the past 20 years not be squandered,” the US official added.

    Moreover, he ensured, “There is quite a bit of alignment of interest when it comes to Afghanistan, and we’re continuing to have those conversations.”

    Earlier, it was announced that a new envoy for Afghanistan Tom West would visit Islamabad later this week to clarify US expectations of the Taliban.

    Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister (FM) Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday on a three-day visit. It is the first to Pakistan by an Afghan minister since the Taliban came into power in August.