KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi versus Quetta Gladiators has historically been the fiercest rivalry in PSL cricket, and one that has always produced not just great matches, but absolute classics. On Saturday however, a devastating century by Kamran Akmal meant that Zalmi completed a totally one-sided win over their main rivals.
Batting first after losing the toss, Quetta had Jason Roy looking in superb touch. The English opener struck the ball cleanly and without fear, epitomised by one hit that literally landed on the roof of the National Stadium. But he didn’t quite find any support on the other end, as both Ahmed Shehzad and Shane Watson played turgid knocks that never got going. Wahab Riaz, brought in early here, carried over his form from the end of the previous match and was extremely difficult to handle.
Sarfaraz Ahmed, Quetta’s captain, arrived in the ninth over and immediately changed the narrative. In an innings that saw him in absolutely fluent touch, he was particularly vicious against the spinners, using his feet to devastating effect. It allowed Roy to play with far more ease, knowing that the responsibility didn’t fall solely on his shoulders.
Their fluency meant that the opposing captain, Daren Sammy, had to make a move.
The day had begun with news that Sammy was being awarded Pakistan’s highest civilian award and honorary citizenship in recognition for his contributions to Pakistan cricket. For all of Sammy’s off field efforts, it’s his on-field ones for Zalmi that are equally legendary. Here, he brought himself on for what would be his only over and immediately got rid of Sarfaraz. It wasn’t obvious then, but that ended up unraveling the Gladiators’ innings.
The opening game’s hero, Azam Khan, and then Mohammad Nawaz each wasted deliveries before being dismissed cheaply. It meant that Roy remaining not out till the end didn’t quite have the effect one would have imagined in such a scenario, and Quetta’s total fell short.
No one though, had any clue how small that target would end up being.
Kamran Akmal decided to singlehandedly end the competition there and then. His first 10 deliveries saw the most runs scored by any player in the PSL over such a duration, and that destroyed the target in effect if not in reality. He was deft against the pacers and far more violent against the spinners, but the effect was just the same. Peshawar were always so far ahead of the rate that the few successes Quetta had felt insignificant.
The innings also went some way in establishing the legend of Kamran Akmal’s PSL career, a storied chapter in what is one of the most notorious tales in Pakistan cricket’s rich history. Always talented with the bat, Akmal’s disasters as a wicket keeper had led to much of the criticism he had always failed. But in the PSL, he is not only the highest run-scorer of all time, he now has three centuries in the competition’s history, which is as many as everyone else combined. Predictably, from the press conference onwards to across social media, calls for Akmal’s return to the international side echoed far and wide.
Barely managing to conceal his famous grin when speaking to reporters later, Akmal was at pains to insist that he had no thoughts on returning to the national side, and his complete focus was on the PSL. But Peshawar Zalmi won’t mind either way — if their prized asset continues to make his case for the national side in a World Cup year on their roster, they would be the most to benefit.
Zalmi’s first win also gave them some consolation for their last encounter with Quetta, also at this ground, where they had lost the PSL final. But after almost chasing down 200 yesterday and then gut punching the defending champions today, Peshawar will feel confident that they will be returning to the final this year as well.
Kamran Akmal’s record breaking 100 leads Zalmi to crushing win
https://arab.news/m4ung
Kamran Akmal’s record breaking 100 leads Zalmi to crushing win
- Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators have the fiercest rivalry in PSL cricket
- Akmal’s first 10 deliveries saw the most runs scored by any player in the PSL over such a duration
Pakistan says resolved over 30,000 Hajj pilgrims’ complaints
- Pakistani pilgrims were assisted in travel, lost tickets, accommodation, food and other issues, says religion ministry
- Multiple channels were provided to pilgrims for complaints, including call center, WhatsApp and toll-free numbers
ISLAMABAD: A facilitation center set up by the Pakistani government in Makkah for this year’s Hajj resolved over 30,000 complaints filed by pilgrims, the religion ministry said on Tuesday.
This year’s Hajj took place from June 4 to June 9, drawing millions of pilgrims to the holy cities in Saudi Arabia. Pakistan sent over 115,000 pilgrims under both the government and private schemes.
Ayesha Ijaz, the person in charge of the facilitation center in Makkah, told Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry that the center has been specially set up to help Pakistani pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
“The facilitation center established by the Government of Pakistan in Makkah to provide exemplary facilities to Pakistani pilgrims during and after Hajj 2025 has successfully resolved over 30,000 complaints,” the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) said.
It said thousands of Pakistani Hajj pilgrims were provided immediate assistance related to travel issues, lost tickets, accommodation, food and other important matters.
“The center operates round the clock and has various special departments, including the Departure Cell, Zong Desk, Maktab Desk, Madinah Departure Cell, Complaints Cell and 24/7 Call Center,” Ijaz said.
Hafiz Obaidullah Zakaria, who is in charge of the Complaints Cell, said 30,147 complaints have been registered so far related to Hajj 2025.
“Of these, 2,446 complaints were resolved within 24 hours, 113 are under process, while 580 complaints were declared inauthentic,” he was quoted as saying by the religion ministry.
The religion ministry said this year, multiple channels were provided to pilgrims for registering complaints, including a 24-hour call center, WhatsApp, toll-free numbers and other platforms.
It said the number of complaints had been reduced significantly, which reflected impressive arrangements undertaken by the government.
“The timely actions of the facilitation center and effective complaint management have set a new precedent for Hajj operations, which has been appreciated not only by the authorities but also by the pilgrims,” the ministry said.
The last Pakistani flight carrying Hajj pilgrims back to the country is scheduled to arrive on July 10.
Provincial court delivers Pakistan’s first-ever conviction for insider trading
- SECP says bank official misused insider information related to investment, disinvestment decisions for “personal gain“
- Financial regulator says court slaps $30,380 penalty on convict, with the amount to be deposited within seven days
KARACHI: A Pakistani court recently handed its first-ever conviction for insider trading, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) said on Tuesday, hailing the judgment as one which will boost investors’ confidence in the country’s capital markets.
Insider trading refers to the practice of buying or selling a publicly traded company’s securities while in possession of material information that is not yet public information. The SECP said it had filed a case against Zakir Hussain Somji, assistant vice president of investments at Habib Metropolitan Bank (HMB) Limited, after inspecting suspicious trading activity from Jan. 1, 2014, to Feb. 2, 2016.
The regulator said it was suspected that the accused, through his position at HMB, misused insider information related to the bank’s investment and disinvestment decisions for personal gain. The SECP said a probe revealed Somji bought 11,795,100 shares of various companies, including 1,230,900 shares (10.43 percent) acquired from HMB. He sold 11,836,600 shares — 4,915,200 (41.52 percent) of which were sold back to HMB, earning an “unlawful profit” of Rs2,866,646 [$10,116.39].
“Sindh Special Court (Offences in Banks) handed out first ever conviction for insider trading in the history of Pakistan in a case filed by The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP),” the regulator said.
It said Somji had been convicted by the court on June 14 for violating provisions of Section 128 of the Securities Act, 2015, which related to insider trading.
The regulator said the court slapped Somji with a penalty of Rs 8,599,938 [$30,380] which was three times the “unlawful gain.”
“The amount is to be deposited within seven days, failing which the convict will be remanded to jail until full payment is made,” the SECP said.
The regulator said the judgment reaffirms SECP’s mandate to ensure market integrity and investor protection.
“It sets a strong precedent for future enforcement actions and sends a clear message that market abuse and regulatory violations shall not be tolerated,” it added.
Pakistan’s militancy-hit Balochistan unveils ‘largest’ $3.6 billion annual budget
- Province earmarks $2.26 billion for non-development spending, $307 million for health and $423.5 million for schools
- Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province by land yet its poorest by almost all social and economic indicators
ISLAMABAD: The government in Pakistan’s militancy-hit Balochistan on Tuesday unveiled its $3.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2025-26, which provincial Finance Minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani described as the “largest” one in the province’s history.
Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province by land size but its poorest by almost all social and economic indicators. The province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has been the scene of a low-lying insurgency for decades where ethnic separatist militants demand a greater share of the province’s mineral resources for locals.
Nosherwani presented the budget for the upcoming fiscal year in the Balochistan Assembly in Quetta, with Speaker Abdul Khaliq Achakzai chairing the session.
“For the upcoming fiscal year, the total budget is estimated at Rs1,028 billion [$3.63 billion]— the largest in the province’s history,” Nosherwani told lawmakers during the budget session.
“Out of this, the non-development budget is Rs642 billion [$2.26 billion] while the overall provincial development (PSDP) budget is Rs249.5 billion [$878 million],” he added.
The finance minister pointed out that the budget includes a Rs42 billion [$148.3 million] surplus, describing it as a “historic milestone” for the province.
Nosherwani said the government has earmarked over Rs120 billion [$423.5 million] for the schools sector and Rs29.1 billion [$102.7 million] for the higher education sector.
The provincial government has also allocated Rs87 billion [$307 million] for the health sector, ₨26 billion [$91.8 million] for the agriculture sector and Rs1 billion [$3.53 million] for food, he said.
He said the government had decided not to purchase new vehicles, except for the ones required by law enforcement personnel.
“To create employment opportunities in 2025–26, the provincial government plans to introduce 4,188 contract positions and 1,958 regular jobs across departments,” Nosherwani said.
He credited the provincial government for not overlooking any segment of society in the annual budget.
“These measures cover government employees, women, pensioners, youth, migrants, laborers— people from every walk of life,” the finance minister said.
Pakistani journalists protest Israel’s bombing of Iranian state TV
- Israel bombed state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting’s building on Monday as its conflict with Iran escalates
- Charged Pakistani journalists in Karachi accuse Israel of targeting journalists deliberately to silence their voices
KARACHI: Dozens of Pakistani journalists protested in Karachi on Tuesday against Israel’s move to bomb Iran’s state-run television channel this week, accusing Tel Aviv of deliberately targeting journalists to silence their voices.
Footage of anchor Sahar Emami went viral on Monday in which she can be seen denouncing Israel at the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) building before the live broadcast was interrupted by a huge blast. Shortly after, smoke and debris filled the screen.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) confirmed that Israel’s strike on the IRIB building killed Nima Rajabpour, editor-in-chief of Khabar TV, and Masoumeh Azimi, a secretary at the state-run television channel. Israel and Iran have been targeting each other with missiles since Friday, when the Jewish state attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities and military leadership.
Dozens of Pakistani journalists protested the move outside the Karachi Press Club. The protest was organized by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ). Journalists carried placards inscribed with messages condemning Israel, shouting slogans expressing support for the people of Gaza and Iran.
“It [Israel] has assassinated anyone across the world who tried to unmask its true face, anyone who tried to speak the truth,” PFUJ Secretary-General A.H. Khanzada told Arab News, accusing the Jewish state of killing journalists from Gaza to Iran.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has counted 178 journalists killed in Gaza by Israel since October 2023, making it the deadliest conflict for media workers ever recorded.
Khanzada urged the IFJ to redefine its global parameters of press freedom.
“If these are not corrected, many problems will arise — and these problems will affect the entire world,” he said, calling the response from global media organizations to the attack as “insufficient.”
Aamir Latif, a former Karachi Press Club secretary, agreed that Israel was systematically silencing journalists.
“Israel is not in a business to tell the truth,” Latif said. “In fact, it is in a business to block the truth. That is why it is targeting journalists whether it is Gaza or whether it is Iran,” he added.
Latif lamented Israel’s moves to target hospitals, media workers and other protected entities in the Middle East, saying they were directly violating international laws.
Veteran journalist and former PFUJ secretary-general Mazhar Abbas called the Iranian TV bombardment a “direct assault on freedom of expression.”
“The figure [of journalists being killed in Palestine] is nearly around 150, which is even far bigger than the journalists killed in the Second World War,” Abbas told Arab News.
KUJ President Nasrullah Chaudhry said Pakistani journalists stood in solidarity with their Iranian counterparts.
“Since October, we have documented Israeli war crimes against media in Gaza,” Chaudhry said. “This is part of the same pattern.
“The media of Pakistan in general and Karachi in particular firmly stands against Israel aggression and assaults on journalists,” he told protesters.
The protest ended with Pakistani journalists pledging to continue highlighting what participants called the “systematic targeting of truth tellers” by Israel across multiple conflict zones.
Islamabad says will not let militants exploit Iran-Israel conflict to attack Pakistan
- Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal says Islamabad recently had “very good, close coordination” with Iran, Afghanistan against “terrorist” groups
- Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, sharing borders with Afghanistan and Iran, has seen a surge in militant attacks in recent months
ISLAMABAD: Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Tuesday that Islamabad would not allow militants based in Iran and Afghanistan to take advantage of Tehran’s ongoing conflict with Israel to increase its “terrorist” attacks in neighboring Pakistan.
Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province shares porous borders with Afghanistan to the north and Iran to the west. It has experienced a surge in militant attacks by Baloch separatists and other armed groups in recent years, who demand a greater share of Balochistan’s mineral resources for locals.
Pakistan has remained at odds with both Afghanistan and Iran over instability at its shared, porous borders with the two countries. Islamabad blames Kabul for not taking action against Pakistani Taliban militants who it says regularly launch attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces, allegations that Afghanistan denies.
Ties between Islamabad and Tehran have also been strained in the past, with both nations blaming each other for not rooting out militancy in their countries.
“Pakistan leadership has recently had very good, close coordination with both the leadership in Iran and with leadership in Afghanistan ensuring that their soil is not used by the terrorist groups to carry out terrorist attacks in the country,” Iqbal told foreign media reporters during a briefing in Islamabad.
He added that Pakistani security forces were carrying out operations against militant groups in Balochistan and were confident they could “control” them.
“They are Indian-sponsored terrorist groups and they have already taken a hit with the defeat of India in the limited war we had and won’t get any space now [in the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict],” the minister said.
Iqbal was referring to Pakistan’s days-long military confrontation with India last month in which both countries targeted each other with artillery fire, missiles, fighter jets and drone strikes before Washington brokered a ceasefire on May 10.
Regional tensions have flared once again after Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities and military leadership last Friday. The two countries have traded missiles since then, with world leaders calling for dialogue and restraint.
The minister hoped Irani forces would not allow militants based in their country to carry out attacks against Pakistan.
“We hope and are confident that the leadership in Iran will also exercise its full jurisdiction to make sure that no groups use the territory of Iran to carry out any terrorist action in Pakistan,” he said.
He called on the international community, especially the G7 countries, to intervene and stop Iran’s conflict with Israel from escalating further.
“This can have very serious consequences because this region supplies energy to the global economy and if there is any disruption in the supply of energy through escalation in this conflict, it will not just affect Iran, it will not just affect Israel, it will affect the entire world,” Iqbal warned.
CPEC WORK TO CONTINUE
Iqbal said the Israel-Iran conflict will not affect the pace of development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-billion infrastructure network between Pakistan and China, as the military confrontation was not taking place in Pakistan.
China has invested $65 billion in CPEC, its flagship project which is part of its Belt and Road Initiative, to build roads, railways, pipelines, and ports connecting China to the Arabian Sea. A key project is the deep-sea port at Gwadar in Balochistan, a province that faces a long-running separatist insurgency.
“So, our work in Pakistan will continue and CPEC will move forward as we are hoping and anticipating by the end of July, the 14th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting will take place for CPEC,” Iqbal said, adding that by then the roadmap for the project’s phase 2 will be approved.
Ethnic Baloch separatist groups, most prominent among them the Baloch Liberation Army, have targeted Chinese interests in Balochistan in recent years. This has led to China expressing concerns over the safety of its nationals in Pakistan.
Iqbal said Beijing has expressed satisfaction over the improving security situation in Pakistan.
“Chinese are very convinced that Pakistan is fully committed to improving the security situation in the country and in the coming months and years, we will have greater cooperation because Pakistan has worked very hard to counter these elements who have been involved in actions against Chinese,” the minister said.
