Pakistan’s Multan to host first T20 international series featuring South Africa women

Pakistan’s Multan to host first T20 international series featuring South Africa women
This screebgrab, taken from a handout video released by Pakistan Cricket Board on February 22, 2023, shows a generic video of Multan Cricket Stadium during a Pakistan Super League match between Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings in Multan. (PCB/File)
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Updated 15 September 2024
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Pakistan’s Multan to host first T20 international series featuring South Africa women

Pakistan’s Multan to host first T20 international series featuring South Africa women
  • The three matches provide an opportunity for both sides to gear up for next month’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup scheduled in UAE
  • South Africa, who were runners-up in the last ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, are touring Pakistan for the second time in as many years

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan women under the leadership of Fatima Sana are set to take on Laura Wolvaardt-led South Africa in the three-match T20 series commencing at the Multan Cricket Stadium from Monday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Sunday, adding that this would be the first T20 international series in the city.
The second and third T20Is will be played at the same venue on 18 and 20 September, respectively. The first and second matches will start at 7pm Pakistan time, while the third will begin at 10am.
This will mark the first time that the picturesque Multan Cricket Stadium will host a T20 and a women’s international series. Previously, the stadium has hosted 11 ODIs and six Test matches.
“The three matches provide an opportunity for both sides to gear up for next month’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup scheduled in the UAE,” the PCB said in a statement.
South Africa, who were runners-up in the last edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup held in South Africa, are touring Pakistan for the second time in as many years.
“The players have been working hard in training, and the series against South Africa is a great opportunity for us to prepare ourselves well before the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup scheduled next month. South Africa are a strong side and playing against them will help us assess our game under pressure situations,” Sana said ahead of the T20I series.
“We are excited to play at the picturesque Multan Cricket Stadium, especially as the stadium is hosting its first-ever international women’s T20I series. The support from the fans in Pakistan is always incredible and with free entry to the stadium, it is a great opportunity for people to come and cheer for both sides.”
During their last visit, South Africa played a white-ball series, featuring three T20Is and three ODIs (part of ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25). Pakistan whitewashed South Africa in the three-match T20I series held in Karachi on September 1-4.
To encourage fans to come to the ground, entrance to the stadium will be free, according to the PCB. The spectators will be required to bring their original identity cards to get inside the stadium.
After the series, South Africa will depart for the UAE on September 21, while Pakistan will leave on September 23. Pakistan are in Group A of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, along with Australia, India, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka, while South Africa are grouped with Bangladesh, England, Scotland and the West Indies.
Following warm-up matches against Scotland and Bangladesh on September 28 and 30 respectively, Pakistan will face Sri Lanka on October 3 in Sharjah, followed by matches against India on October 6 in Dubai, Australia on October 11 in Dubai and New Zealand on October 14 in Dubai.
18-member Pakistan squad for series:
Fatima Sana (captain), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali (wicket-keeper), Najiha Alvi (wicket-keeper), Nashra Sundhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan and Umm-e-Hani


Pakistani religion ministry formulating new regulations to oversee Umrah operations

Pakistani religion ministry formulating new regulations to oversee Umrah operations
Updated 22 sec ago
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Pakistani religion ministry formulating new regulations to oversee Umrah operations

Pakistani religion ministry formulating new regulations to oversee Umrah operations
  • The ministry will handle all matters, including issuance of licenses and penalties over complaints, under the new Hajj and Umrah (Regulation) Act
  • Penalties for violations include blacklisting, suspension or cancelation of licenses, or reduction of quotas for Hajj or Umrah group organizers

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs is formulating regulations to take control of Umrah operations under the new Hajj and Umrah (Regulation) Act, 2024, a spokesperson for the ministry said on Monday.

Under the new law, which came into effect this month, the Ministry of Religious Affairs will establish separate funds for Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages. While the ministry already oversaw Hajj operations, this will be the first time it will regulate Umrah operations.

All matters, including the issuance of licenses to operators, will now be handled by religious affairs ministry, and a four-member complaint disposal committee (CDC), led by an officer of Grade-20 or above, will address complaints relating to negligence or violation of agreements.

Penalties for violations include blacklisting, suspension or cancelation of licenses, or reduction of quotas for Hajj or Umrah group organizers, while the CDC may also forfeit performance guarantees in serious cases. However, CDC decisions could be appealed before three-member appellate committees.

“The Ministry of Religious Affairs has already started the process of preparing rules and regulations to oversee Umrah operations in the country,” Muhammad Umer Butt, the ministry’s spokesperson, told Arab News.

He said the process would take some time as several departments and stakeholders needed to be consulted to finalize the procedures.

Asked about the need to regulate the Umrah pilgrimage, he said Umrah operations were previously decentralized and run by hundreds of private tour operators, which created a lot of problems for pilgrims due to the absence of a proper mechanism of accountability.

“This move aims to centralize and organize the system, reduce the number of operators by allowing only registered operators to offer Umrah services,” he said, adding the ministry wanted to streamline operations.

“A complaint cell and resolution mechanism, similar to Hajj operations, will be established to benefit the public,” Butt said. “If any issues arise, there will be a government forum for accountability and resolution of complaints regarding the operators.”

Consultations were also ongoing with provincial governments for their input, according to the religion ministry spokesperson.

“The main objective is to ensure comfort of Umrah pilgrims, protect them from potential fraud, and improve their experience through effective complaint resolution and accountability mechanisms,” he said.

Muhammad Faizan, a senior member of the Pakistan Umrah Tour Operators Association in Rawalpindi, said the ministry had not yet contacted the association, but they would provide their suggestions, once approached.

“We will offer our input to ensure there is no excessive bureaucracy and Umrah operations continue smoothly,” he told Arab News. “It differs from the Hajj operation as Umrah runs almost year-round, so it requires uninterrupted functioning.”

Faizan emphasized that the tour operators intended to facilitate pilgrims and a proper mechanism to address their grievances would be beneficial for all.

“This would also be advantageous for operators as limiting the service to registered operators would encourage them to maintain their reputation,” he said. “Small, unregistered companies often engage in false promises to pilgrims.”


Masood says ‘hurt’ Pakistan aim to end win drought against England

Masood says ‘hurt’ Pakistan aim to end win drought against England
Updated 23 min 50 sec ago
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Masood says ‘hurt’ Pakistan aim to end win drought against England

Masood says ‘hurt’ Pakistan aim to end win drought against England
  • Pakistan have gone winless in 10 home Tests since February 2021
  • They were handed a 2-0 defeat by Bangladesh earlier this month 

KARACHI: Pakistan captain Shan Masood on Monday backed Babar Azam to find his batting touch as his side look to end their win drought in the three-match Test series against England starting next week.
Pakistan have gone winless in 10 home Tests since February 2021, the latest humiliation being swept 2-0 by Bangladesh earlier this month.
They also lost 3-0 in Australia earlier this year.
“It’s not acceptable for Pakistan to not win a home Test for that long and we accept the responsibility for that,” said Masood at a press conference in Karachi.
“As a cricketing nation we all are hurt right now.”
Masood was confident that batting great Azam would soon be back to his best after managing just 64 runs in the two Bangladesh Tests.
“We all know Babar is one of the top batters in the world and despite not scoring big runs the good thing is that he is not out of form, we have to back him,” said Masood.
Azam has not passed fifty in Tests in 16 innings dating back to December 2022.
England arrive in Pakistan on October 2 with the first Test starting in Multan five days later.
The second Test is also in Multan from October 15 while the final match is in Rawalpindi from October 24.
“I assure you that everyone is eager to stage a comeback in this series and take Pakistan cricket in a good direction,” said Masood.
England swept the series 3-0 when they last visited Pakistan in 2022.
“For me, pressure is a thing of privilege because leading your country is a great honor but with it comes responsibility,” said Masood, whose captaincy tenure runs until May 2025.
“If results are good then I will serve, if not then I will be punished. I don’t run away from challenges and this coming series is also very challenging.”


Pakistan, Oman to collaborate on madrassah curriculum development, student exchanges

Pakistan, Oman to collaborate on madrassah curriculum development, student exchanges
Updated 30 September 2024
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Pakistan, Oman to collaborate on madrassah curriculum development, student exchanges

Pakistan, Oman to collaborate on madrassah curriculum development, student exchanges
  • Pakistan religious affairs minister is on a three-day visit to Oman
  • Meets Omani counterpart Mohammed bin Said bin Khalfan Al-Mamari

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Minister for Religious Affairs Chaudhry Salik Hussain met his Omani counterpart on Monday and discussed collaborating on curriculum development at religious schools and establishing student exchange programs between the two nations. 

Hussain is on a three-day visit to Oman where he will meet top officials and inaugurate a new branch of the Pakistan International School in Muscat. 

On Sunday, both countries agreed on the early finalization of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on labor and manpower exchange.

“Both sides also agreed on possible cooperation to improve the curriculum of religious schools in accordance with Islamic teachings,” Radio Pakistan reported after Hussain met his counterpart Mohammed bin Said bin Khalfan Al-Mamari on Monday.

“Hussain proposed establishing student exchange programs for the study of Sharia, the teachings of the Qur’an, and Islamic history in the religious institutions of both countries.”

The first Pakistani Business Expo will be held in Muscat from Oct. 13-14.

In August, Islamabad invited Oman to invest in its agriculture, mineral and IT sectors under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a civil-military hybrid body set up last year to attract foreign investment in Pakistan, especially from Gulf nations. 

Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan has also said Pakistan will set up a new trade mission in Oman as the country strives to enhance trade relations, particularly with the Middle East.


Pakistan court rejects bail pleas of ex-PM Khan, wife in new graft case

Pakistan court rejects bail pleas of ex-PM Khan, wife in new graft case
Updated 30 September 2024
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Pakistan court rejects bail pleas of ex-PM Khan, wife in new graft case

Pakistan court rejects bail pleas of ex-PM Khan, wife in new graft case
  • Khan and Bushra are accused of misusing power to acquire gifts from state repository when Khan was PM from 2018-22
  • Arguably Pakistan’s most popular politician, Khan says all cases against him are motivated to keep him out of politics

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani court on Monday rejected the bail pleas of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Khan in a case in which they are accused of misusing power to acquire gifts from a state repository when Khan was premier from 2018-22.

Khan was convicted in four cases after being arrested in August last year. Two of the verdicts have since been suspended and he was acquitted in the remaining two. However, the National Accountability Bureau earlier this year filed what has come to be popularly called the new Toshakhana reference involving a jewelry set worth over €380,000 that was gifted to the former first lady by a foreign dignitary and which the couple are accused of undervaluing and buying at a lesser price from the state repository. 

Khan and Bushra, who deny wrongdoing, are set to be indicted in the case on Oct. 2.

“A court on Monday rejected the bail pleas filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party founder Imran Khan and his wife and former first lady Bushra Bibi in the new Toshakhana case where they face allegations of misusing power to acquire state gifts,” Pakistan’s top news channel, Geo News, reported. 

All major media outlets also reported the development. 

Khan and Bushra, already in prison at the time, were re-arrested on July 13 shortly after a district and sessions court ordered their immediate release after accepting their appeals against a ruling that they had violated the country’s marriage law.

The couple were sentenced to seven years in prison and fined in February by a court that ruled their 2018 marriage broke the law. Bushra was accused of not completing the waiting period mandated by Islam, called “Iddat,” after divorcing her previous husband and marrying Khan.

At that point, two of Khan’s convictions had been suspended by the court and he had been acquitted in the third one so the Iddat case was the only one keeping him in prison.

However, hours after the local court’s verdict in their favor, the new Toshakhana case was filed by NAB and the former prime minister and his wife were arrested, ruling out the possibility of them walking out of jail.

Khan’s convictions had already ruled the 71-year-old out of Feb. 8 general elections as convicted felons cannot run for public office under Pakistani law. Arguably Pakistan’s most popular politician, Khan says all cases against him are motivated to keep him out of politics.


Pakistani woman in high-profile hit-and-run case granted bail on drug charges

Pakistani woman in high-profile hit-and-run case granted bail on drug charges
Updated 34 min 45 sec ago
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Pakistani woman in high-profile hit-and-run case granted bail on drug charges

Pakistani woman in high-profile hit-and-run case granted bail on drug charges
  • Natasha Danish, wife of prominent Karachi businessman, was arrested in August for killing two people in accident
  • Judge says case attracted negative media attention toward Danish, points out differences in urine and blood tests

KARACHI: A Pakistani woman who is a suspect in a high-profile hit-and-run case in Karachi is set to walk free after the Sindh High Court granted her bail on Monday, three weeks after she was denied the same by a trial court over allegations that she was driving under the influence of methamphetamine drug when she killed two people. 

Natasha Danish, the wife of a prominent businessman in Karachi, was arrested in August for causing a fatal accident that killed two people and caused injuries to five others. Danish had earlier received bail in the manslaughter case after the victims’ families pardoned her. However, she remained in custody on charges of driving under the influence of methamphetamine.

During a hearing of the case on Monday, the defense counsel argued that Danish was wrongfully charged under Section 11 of The Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order, 1979 which deals with alcohol consumption. The defense counsel argued that Danish was accused of consuming methamphetamine, not alcohol.

Despite opposition from the prosecution, Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha granted post-arrest bail to Danish. In his written order, the judge cited several reasons that questioned the justification to detain her further. 

“This case has attracted a lot of media attention much of which is not in favor of the applicant as well as outcry from civil society, which might have caused prejudice to her trial,” the judge argued in his order, a copy of which is available with Arab News.

He noted that while Danish’s urine test had shown traces of methamphetamine, her blood test did not. He said these raised questions about the strength of the case, adding that further inquiry was needed to ascertain the truth. 

 “The urine sample given by the applicant found that the methamphetamine (ice) narcotic was detected in the given sample, hence there appears to be a contradiction between the two reports (blood & urine) which makes this a case of further inquiry,” he wrote. 

The court also pointed out that the primary case involving the accident had been resolved after the victims’ families had pardoned Danish. The judge noted that Danish, a mother of three, had already spent six weeks in jail and that her prolonged detention could not be justified given the circumstances.

 “The maximum sentence would most probably be less than three years which would entitle her to the grant of bail,” the judge said. 

The judge pointed out that Danish’s children, which includes a young daughter, needed her mother’s support. He noted the ongoing trial was expected to take time as there were 13 witnesses yet who had to testify.

The decision to grant bail was based on a preliminary assessment of the evidence, with the court clarifying that it would not influence the outcome of the trial. Danish was ordered to provide a surety bond of Rs. 1 million in exchange for bail. 

Danish’s case has attracted significant media attention in Pakistan, particularly after CCTV footage of the fatal accident circulated on social media in August. The footage showed Danish’s vehicle colliding with a motorbike, killing a student and her father.