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/node/2571370/pakistan
Pakistan fall 2-1 to India in final pool match at Asian Hockey Champions Trophy
Pakistan’s defender #8 Rana Waheed Ashraf is marked by Indian players in final pool match of Asian Hockey Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir, China on September 14, 2024. (Photo courtesy: International Hockey Federation)
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 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.
ISLAMABAD: Police and paramilitary Rangers stormed the official guesthouse and administrative office for the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province in Islamabad on Saturday to arrest Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur after federal authorities accused him of leading a violent protest rally to the capital and warned him not to “cross any more lines.”
Gandapur is a close aide of former prime minister Imran Khan, whose Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party announced a protest near the parliament building in Islamabad against proposed constitutional amendments that it claims are aimed at curtailing the independence of the judiciary, though the government denies the charge.
The PTI is also trying to mobilize supporters through protests and public gatherings to pressure the government for the release of Khan, who has been in prison since August last year and faces a slew of legal challenges.
The federal government suspended mobile services and placed shipping containers at the entry and exit points of Islamabad to prevent the PTI protest, describing it as an attempt to sabotage the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in the capital this month.
“Rangers have forcefully entered KP House and launched an aggressive attack in an attempt to arrest CM KPK Ali Amin Gandapur,” the PTI said in a social media post. “This blatant abuse of power is deeply shameful, raising serious concerns about the state of lawlessness in Pakistan.”
Rangers have forcefully entered KP House and launched an aggressive attack in an attempt to arrest CM KPK Ali Amin Gandapur. This blatant abuse of power is deeply shameful, raising serious concerns about the state of lawlessness in Pakistan. After failing to stop the public from… pic.twitter.com/gLzZaJFEz7
The party said the government had failed to stop people from reaching Islamabad despite all efforts and had “now resorted to arresting a sitting Chief Minister of a province.”
However, local media quoted official sources denying the news of his arrest, even as news channels widely aired videos of heavy deployment of law enforcement and paramilitary personnel at the KP House in Islamabad.
Shortly before the development, Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi blamed the PTI for carrying out violent protests and accused Gandapur of leading a “horde” to Islamabad.
“The responsibility for this [protest] definitely lies with the [PTI] leadership [Imran Khan] from where these instructions came,” he told the media. “After that, if someone is practically implementing them, it is the CM KPK [Gandapur] who is responsible. The CM KPK is responsible for the [current] situation since he is leading the horde that is marching on Islamabad.”
“I will say it to them once again that if they cross any more lines, it will force us to take extreme steps,” he added.
The minister also said the police had arrested 41 Afghan nationals during the clashes with the PTI and apprehended 120 Afghan citizens in the last 48 hours.
He stated that the government would not allow anyone to sabotage the SCO summit.
A day earlier, he had also maintained that the government’s decision to block roads and prevent the protest in Islamabad was aimed at ensuring an environment where adequate security could be provided to all state guests.
ISLAMABAD: Around 80 policemen have been injured as mobile phone services remained suspended and all roads leading to the Pakistani capital of Islamabad were blocked for a second consecutive day on Saturday amid a protest by former prime minister Imran Khan’s party, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi ruling out any talks with the protesters.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has been holding protests across several Pakistani cities on Saturday against proposed constitutional amendments that it claims are aimed at curtailing the independence of the judiciary, a charge the government denies. The Pakistani opposition party is also trying to mobilize supporters through protests and large public gatherings to put pressure for the release of Khan, who has been in prison since August last year and faces a slew of legal challenges.
Speaking to reporters in Islamabad on Saturday, Naqvi said the protesters had fired upon police personnel on their way to Islamabad from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and injured 80-85 police, reiterating that the motive behind the PTI’s protest was to sabotage a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of Government that is scheduled to take place in the Pakistani capital on October 15 and 16. He blamed KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for the violence.
“We will not allow the SCO conference to be sabotaged in any case. We have an idea what exactly is their motive and how they plan to do all this,” Naqvi told reporters. “CM KPK is responsible for all this situation, because he is marching on Islamabad together with this horde, CM KPK is leading it.”
The interior minister said at least 120 Afghan nationals, who were part of the protest, had been arrested in the last 48 hours.
“Police was fired upon in Pathar Garh, where we had set up a blockade and from where CM KPK has moved ahead now, and they were constantly tear-gassing the police,” he said, warning the opposition party of not to force the government “to go to extreme steps.”
The PTI initially announced a protest at Islamabad’s D-Chowk square on Friday, but caravans of its supporters led by Gandapur failed to reach the capital the same day due to blockades of all roads and highways leading to Islamabad. Clashes erupted in Islamabad and nearby areas on Friday evening as Khan supporters tried to march toward the venue of the protest but were stopped by the police.
“CM KP Ali Amin’s convoy is currently being attacked with heavy tear-gas shelling,” the PTI said on X on Saturday noon.
Mobile phone and metro bus services remained suspended and schools and markets were closed in the capital for a second consecutive day on Saturday. The federal government also deployed army troops in the capital on Saturday to ensure security of the SCO summit.
Residents complained of immense difficulties in navigating the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi as all roads were blocked off with shipping containers.
“You don’t want people to come into the city [Islamabad] and get to D-Chowk where the protest is but at least let people go outside the city,” taxi driver Arshad Shad, who was on foot, told Arab News. “Buses can’t move, there is no Internet, no mobile phone service. Families are stuck, they can’t come or go. So I don’t understand what the government is doing, they are only making life more difficult for the public.”
Zafar Iqbal, who deals in the sale and purchase of property, lamented frequent protests and their impact on businesses in the twin cities.
“Every fourth day there is a protest. This is very wrong. This shouldn’t happen. People’s businesses are getting affected and the public is being humiliated,” he told Arab News. “This is a curse for the public, for businessmen. There is already no business and people are worried.” Protests in Punjab
The PTI also announced a protest in Lahore on Saturday, but Hammad Azhar, a key member of the party, announced on X that demonstrations would be held in all districts across Pakistan’s most populous province.
“Islamabad protest will continue,” he said on Saturday. “Apart from this, it is announced that protests will begin in all districts of Punjab from today. People from Lahore and its surroundings will join the protest in Lahore. There is a call for peaceful protests from today in all the rest of the districts of Punjab.”
Local news channels reported authorities had placed shipping containers on roads leading to the Minar-e-Pakistan monument in Lahore, where the PTI plans to hold the protest. The government has imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which allows the district administration to outlaw gatherings of more than four people on account of security threats, in various cities.
Four key match-ups in Pakistan-England Test series
The Stokes-Shah showdown lit up the Twenty20 World Cup final in Melbourne in November 2022, with the batter surviving Shah’s lethal spell
But barely a month later the rivalry was renewed in Rawalpindi stadium as Shah bowled Stokes for 41 on the day when England piled record haul
Updated 05 October 2024
AFP
MULTAN: Test encounters between Pakistan and England have often been defined by player-on-player showdowns which inject added drama into the already heated confrontation.
Ahead of their three-match series starting Monday in Multan, AFP Sports looks at four key match-ups set to entertain:
Pakistan’s pace spearhead was sidelined with a knee injury when England inflicted a 3-0 clean sweep in 2022. This time he has a chance to halt England’s juggernauts led by opener Duckett.
The left-hander smashed a brilliant century on the Test’s opening day two years ago as England amassed a first-day world record of 506-4 — blazing a trail for Pakistan’s first-ever home whitewash.
Duckett has proven capable of upsetting any bowler with his aggression straight out of the gate.
But Shaheen’s lethal yorkers and swing with a new ball regularly put brakes on the scoring rate and secure wickets up front.
Watch out as the pair tussle for control.
Two years ago, Ahmed was just 18 when he became the youngest England bowler to take a five-wicket haul on debut against Pakistan in Karachi.
Now matured, he is likely to face down Pakistan star batter Azam — one of his victims back in 2022.
Ahmed’s googly could prolong Azam’s run drought, with Pakistani looking to rediscover his touch to counter the wiley spinner.
Azam quit his white-ball captaincy this week to focus on his role at the crease.
His showdown with Ahmed will be the first test of whether he can return to form.
Root has a phenomenal record as England’s top batter — soon set to break former skipper Alistair Cook’s career record of more than 12,000 Test runs.
But in the 2022 tour, it was spinner Abrar who dismissed Root in each innings of the second Test in Multan for low scores of 8 and 21.
Nonetheless, Root holds the record for most hundreds for England with 34, achieving half of them over the past four years.
Pakistan will rely on Abrar for slow and turning wickets. A spin duel between the pair will be a clash to watch.
The Stokes-Shah showdown lit up the Twenty20 World Cup final in Melbourne in November 2022, with the batter surviving Shah’s lethal spell and hitting a fighting half-century to secure England’s triumph.
But barely a month later the rivalry was renewed in Rawalpindi stadium as Shah bowled Stokes for 41 on the day when England piled up its record haul.
Shah missed the next two Tests with a shoulder injury. But when the three-match series starts next week he will have more experience and better fitness — although the contest could be delayed as Stokes races to overcome a hamstring niggle in time for the first Test.
If he’s ready, Stokes will have to overcome a fiery Shah looking to push him to the hilt.
ISLAMABAD: Six Pakistani soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, and eight militants were killed in separate encounters in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani military said on Saturday.
A fire exchange took place between security forces and militants in Spinwam area of KP’s North Waziristan district that borders Afghanistan, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
Lt. Col. Muhammad Ali Shoukat, who the military said was leading the troops, was among the Pakistani soldiers killed in the encounter. Six militants were also killed in the gunfight.
“Sanitization operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Kharji [militant] found in the area,” the ISPR said in a statement. “Security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve.”
Separately, two militants were killed and another one was apprehended in a joint intelligence-based operation in KP’s Swat district, the military said on Saturday.
The operation was jointly conducted with law enforcement agencies in Charbagh area of the Swat district, according to the ISPR. The deceased militants included Atta Ullah alias Mehran who was involved in multiple militant activities, including a bomb attack in Swat on a convoy of foreign diplomats last month that killed one police officer.
Swat — a snow-capped mountain valley split by turquoise waters — is one of Pakistan’s most famed beauty spots, but its reputation has a dark side.
In 2012, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban while campaigning as a schoolgirl for education in the same district that later earned her the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Pakistani Taliba historically have roots in Afghanistan and share the same ideology as the Afghan Taliban. From 2007 to 2009, they killed thousands of civilians and seized control of several areas of Swat Valley before being driven back by the military.
Pakistan has seen a rise in militant attacks in recent months and says militants mainly associated with the Pakistani Taliban frequently launch attacks from hideouts in neighboring Afghanistan, targeting police and other security forces.
Islamabad has even blamed Kabul’s Afghan Taliban rulers for facilitating anti-Pakistan militants. Kabul denies the charges.
Royal Saudi Air Force joins Sindh Shield 2024 exercise in Pakistan
The event, hosted at Mushaf Air Base, brings together air forces from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt and Turkiye in a comprehensive training scenario
Lt. Gen. Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, commander of the RSAF, saw off departure of Saudi contingent from King Abdulaziz Air Base in Eastern Sector
Updated 05 October 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: The Royal Saudi Air Force has deployed to Pakistan for the multinational Shield of Sindh 2024 exercise.
The event, hosted at Mushaf Air Base, brings together air forces from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt and Turkiye in a comprehensive training scenario.
Lt. Gen. Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, commander of the RSAF, saw off the departure of the Saudi contingent from King Abdulaziz Air Base in the Eastern Sector.
Before takeoff, he conducted a thorough inspection of equipment and received detailed briefings on the operational readiness of flight crews, technical teams and support personnel. The Saudi contribution to the exercise is substantial, featuring a squadron of six Tornado aircraft.
Speaking about the exercise, he said: “Our participation in Shield of Sindh 2024 serves multiple objectives. It strengthens our bonds with Pakistan and other participating nations, while also providing a platform to demonstrate the exceptional capabilities and professionalism of the Royal Saudi Air Force, and allowing air and support crews to gain more combat experience in unconventional and electronic warfare environments.”