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'No chance' of India-Pakistan series under Modi government, Shahid Afridi says

Pakistani cricket star Shahid Afridi talks to Arab News at his home in Karachi on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. (AN photo)
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Updated 27 September 2020
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'No chance' of India-Pakistan series under Modi government, Shahid Afridi says

  • Former Pakistani skipper says Pakistani players missing ‘big opportunity’ by not playing in Indian Premier League
  • “Love is love, I have always appreciated the love and respect I have gotten from the people of India,” Afridi says
Updated 27 September 2020
Naimat Khan

KARACHI: Pakistani all-rounder and former skipper Shahid Khan Afridi has said there was ‘no chance’ of reviving cricketing ties with India as long as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in power.
Strained relations between the two nations, who were one before the partition of British India split them into India and Pakistan in 1947, and a decades-long dispute over the Himalayan valley of Kashmir, has laid the foundations of one of the most intense sports rivalries in the world.
Ties have been especially strained over the last year when Modi’s government stripped the autonomy of Kashmir, which both nations rule in part but claim in full.
Pakistan and Indian have not played a bilateral Test series since 2008 when already brittle ties were shattered by the Mumbai attacks.
“The government of Pakistan is always ready but with the present regime [in India] there are no such chances of [resuming] cricket relations, of [Pakistan-India] series,” Afridi told Arab News in a wide-ranging interview at his home in Karachi this week. “With Modi in power, I don’t see it’s going to happen.”

Both India and Pakistan are crazy about cricket and emotions and adrenaline run high whenever the two sides play each other, usually in packed stadiums resounding with jingoistic slogans.
New Delhi and Islamabad have in the past used cricket matches to try to make progress on issues that have dogged relations since 1947, especially over the fate of the Kashmir region.
In 1987, then-Pakistan President general Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq visited India to watch a cricket match but the event was also used to defuse a crisis over troop build-ups on one of the world’s most militarised borders, and the Pakistani leader met Indian prime minister of the day, Rajiv Gandhi.
In 2005, Pakistan’s then-military ruler Pervez Musharraf visited India to watch a cricket match, but the trip also became a summit with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the two leaders agreed to open up the Kashmir border.
Afridi agreed that sports could play an important role in improving relations between the two countries, especially since cricket was like a “religion” for the people of India and Pakistan: “So, I think that sports are a thing which can help improve ties.”
Commenting on the 2020 Indian Premier League, which was originally scheduled to begin in March in India but is being held in the United Arab Emirates due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Afridi said Pakistani players were missing a “big opportunity” by not being part of the tournament.
“I know that IPL is a very big brand in the world of cricket and it is an excellent opportunity for, whether it’s Babar Azam, or many other Pakistani players to go there [to India] and play under pressure and share dressing rooms,” the Pakistani cricketer said. “So in my opinion Pakistani players are missing a big opportunity.”
Asked if he stood by an earlier statement that he was more loved in India than in Pakistan, Afridi said: “If their love is true, no one can take it away, no matter whose government it is.”
“Love is love,” the cricketer said. “No doubt, the way I have enjoyed cricket in India; I have always appreciated the love and respect that I have gotten from the people of India. And now when I speak on social media, I get many messages from India and I reply to many people. I believe that my overall experience of India has been excellent.”




Pakistani cricket star Shahid Afridi talks to Arab News at his home in Karachi on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. (AN photo) 

Speaking about the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Afridi said Khan had been an exemplary cricketer who led Pakistan to world cup victory in 1992, but as prime minister one should not expect him to change decades of problems in a few years.
“It’s the time to fulfill the promises he [Khan] had made before elections,” he said. “This is a great opportunity; army is with you, judiciary is there. All are on one page.”
Khan has a favorable “ground and pitch” to achieve success, Afridi said, adding that the PM needed a stronger team to help him win.
“Imran bhai will have to play [with a] strong team, [he] will have to take honest and clean people along with him,” he said. “The people who we see around Imran bhai should work for this country so a time may not come when Imran bhai is all alone.”

Speaking about punishing culprits in the recent case of a woman who was gang-raped on a major highway this month in front of her children, Afridi said: “Don’t hang them publicly. Hang them [while] hiding [from people] but do hang them and set an example, and do it immediately.”

 

 

 

The 40-year-old cricketer is also well-known for his philanthropic work across Pakistan and has formerly worked with UNICEF and a number of national organizations. He told Arab News his parents were his “inspiration” for starting charity work and setting up the Shahid Afridi Foundation, which aims to provide education, health care, access to water and sports rehabilitation in Pakistan’s underprivileged communities.
Afridi has established hospitals in his hometown of Tirah in Khyber district as well as Kohat. His foundation has distributed ration among 40,000 families across Pakistan and offers free education to deserving students in 14 schools across Pakistan. It also gives scholarships to 10 students from the tribal areas each year.
Afridi has launched 200 water projects in the tribal districts and the parched Tharparkar region in Sindh and also helped repatriate over 250 Pakistanis who were stranded in the Middle East due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We will have to educate these children,” he said, referring to Pakistan’s tribal areas. “I hope [cricket] academies will reach these areas.”

Topics: Pakistan India Kashmir Narendra Modi shahid Afridi Cricket sports

Pakistan court halts Afghan musicians’ repatriation for two months, orders decision on asylum cases

Updated 4 sec ago
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Pakistan court halts Afghan musicians’ repatriation for two months, orders decision on asylum cases

  • Afghan musicians feared persecution and fled their country after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021
  • They filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court last year amid the government’s deportation campaign
Updated 4 sec ago
WASIM SAJJAD

PESHAWAR: A Pakistani court issued a short order on Friday, barring the forced repatriation of about 150 Afghan singers and musicians who fled their country after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 and directing federal authorities to determine their status within two months.
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) issued the order after the musicians filed a petition last year, seeking asylum amid fears of persecution in their home country.
The Taliban had imposed a strict ban on music during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001, suppressing musical expression and leading to the persecution of artists across Afghanistan.
A single-member bench of Justice Wiqar Ahmad issued a two-page short order, accepting the plea of the musicians and restraining the government from forcibly repatriating them to Afghanistan.
“The Federal Government or its notified officer shall decide cases of all these petitioners for grant or refusal of asylum within a period of two months,” the PHC order said.
“Till the final decision, these petitioners shall not be ousted from the territory of Pakistan nor otherwise compelled to leave Pakistan and go back to their native country Afghanistan,” it added.
Afghan nationals in Pakistan have lived in a state of uncertainty since 2023, when the government launched a major deportation drive against migrants living illegally in the country. The campaign primarily targeted Afghans amid an uptick in militant violence, with the government alleging that several of them were involved in attacks on Pakistani civilians and security forces.
The Afghan authorities in Kabul denied the allegations, saying their citizens were not responsible for Pakistan’s security challenges.
The court order said if the federal authorities were unable to decide the cases within 60 days, the interior ministry’s secretary should issue permission allowing the petitioners to stay for a period sufficient to reach a final decision.
“Law Enforcement Agencies of the Federal Government as well as the Provincial Government are restrained from taking any adverse action against these petitioners for their stay in Pakistan for a period of 60 days or such extended time if allowed by the Federal Government,” it added.
Afghan musicians described the court order as a “ray of hope,” saying the recent crackdown on their fellow nationals had sent shockwaves through their community.
“We were in fear, but the recent decision of the court has sparked happiness among our community,” Zarwali Afghan, a musician from Afghanistan, told Arab News. “We hope that the government will consider our cases on humanitarian grounds.”
The Afghan Taliban hold the belief that music is forbidden in Islam, though several schools of thought within the religion differ with their interpretation.
Last year, authorities in Kabul were compelled to clarify their stance after their diplomats in Pakistan and Iran refrained from standing during the playing of national anthems at official ceremonies.
The incident was perceived by both countries as disrespectful and contrary to diplomatic norms. However, the Afghan Taliban explained that their representatives meant no harm and would have stood if the national anthems had been played without background music.
Arab News attempted to seek a response from the interior ministry over the court order, but its spokesperson did not respond.

Topics: Afghan musicians

Pakistani PM, OIC chief urge global push for Gaza ceasefire

Updated 49 min 57 sec ago
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Pakistani PM, OIC chief urge global push for Gaza ceasefire

  • The OIC leader is currently in Islamabad to attend a global conference on girls’ education in Muslim countries
  • Shehbaz Sharif also met with the secretary general of the Muslim World League, the co-host of the conference
Updated 49 min 57 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha agreed on Friday the OIC must intensify pressure on the international community to secure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during their meeting in Pakistan’s federal capital.
The top OIC official arrived in Islamabad earlier in the day to attend a two-day global conference on girls’ education in Muslim countries, set to begin on Saturday. He was received by Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui upon arrival.
During the meeting, the prime minister thanked the OIC for its consistent support regarding the Kashmir dispute with his country’s nuclear rival, India.
Sharif strongly condemned Israel’s ongoing “genocidal campaign” in Gaza and stressed the need for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian aid for Palestinians and global accountability for Israel’s conduct of war.
“Both leaders agreed that the OIC must maintain its pressure on the international community for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza,” read an official statement released by Sharif’s office after the meeting. “They emphasized that the resolution of the Palestine issue must align with UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Palestinian people.”
The meeting also touched on combating Islamophobia and other global and regional matters of mutual interest.
GIRLS’ EDUCATION
The OIC secretary general expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s warm reception and praised the country’s leadership role in addressing critical issues facing the Muslim world.
“The hosting the international conference on girls’ education in the Muslim world is an example of Pakistan’s leadership role in addressing important issues,” he said.
Separately, the prime minister also met with Sheikh Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, the secretary general of the Muslim World League (MWL).
Sharif commended the MWL’s partnership in co-hosting the two-day conference and emphasized that the event would send a strong global message about the Muslim world’s commitment to advancing girls’ education.
Dr. Al-Issa informed Sharif the conference would culminate in the Islamabad Declaration, a consensus document promoting girls’ education in Muslim countries.
He also informed the conference would feature renowned scholars, educators, and thought leaders from around the globe to address a wide range of issues affecting the Muslim world.

Topics: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

Stitching hope: Sindh’s artisan program uplifts rural women through handicrafts

Updated 10 January 2025
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Stitching hope: Sindh’s artisan program uplifts rural women through handicrafts

  • The Sindh Rural Support Organization has trained over 6,000 women in some of the poorest areas in Pakistan’s south
  • Woman artisans in Sindh say the organization has not just brought them financial stability, but dignity and hope as well
Updated 10 January 2025
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Dressed in a vibrant pink embroidered dress with traditional patterns depicting the Sindhi culture, Ponam Shaam Lal proudly displays her handcrafted cushions to visitors at an upscale mall in Karachi. Had it not been for Sindh’s rural artisan programs, Lal, in her late 30s, would have been bereft of skill, and the means to earn her bread and butter.
Lal’s creations were among the 5,800 handicrafts showcased at a four-day exhibition launched by the Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO), a not-for-profit organization, in Karachi’s Ocean Mall on Thursday. The event, a collaboration with the Sindh government, featured 3,545 rural woman artisans displaying products ranging from traditional shawls to embroidered accessories.
The SRSO has trained thousands of rural women in different trades from some of the most under-developed regions of Sindh such as Jacobabad, Kandhkot-Kashmore, Shikarpur, Ghotki, Qambar-Shahdadkot and Badin districts in the last 16 years.
Lal, who rarely ventured beyond her remote village near Rohri up until a few years ago, is one of those thousands of artisans at the Karachi event, which aims to help these women sell to high-end customers in Pakistan’s urban cities.
“Before, we never went out; we didn’t know the outside world. Only my husband would earn. We would sit idle, wondering how to make ends meet or pay for our children’s education,” Lal told Arab News, as she showed her handicrafts to a customer.
“We were poor, but when we started doing this work, took on orders, and worked hard, our circumstances improved.”
Lal says the crochet and embroidery work she learned due to the SRSO’s training program has helped her send her children to school, and life is “finally stable.”
Shahida Baloch, an artisan and trainer from Sindh’s Sukkur city, learned embroidery from her mother and grandmother, but she had little formal education or access to markets where she could sell her products.
“I am a rural woman from the village,” Baloch, a mother of seven, told Arab News.
“We learned embroidery and sewing at home from our grandmothers, without attending any institute or training center.”
But things changed for Baloch, when the SRSO reached her village almost a decade ago. She says the organization provided her recognition for her embroidery and sewing skills by showcasing her work at exhibitions across the country.
As one of the few trainers at the SRSO, Baloch now guides woman artists on how to transform traditional craft into marketable products. 
“I trained women to make cushions, bags, and pouches from the same art. We also worked on color combinations, blending traditional Sindhi colors — blue, yellow, red, green, all natural colors — with modern preferences. This way, the color became more appealing to urban customers,” she said.
“Similarly, we taught them to create buttons as a supplementary product. For instance, if no one buys large, embroidered fabrics worth fifty thousand or a hundred thousand rupees, they might buy a few buttons to embellish their shirts.”
SRSO CEO Muhammad Dittal Kalhoro said the organization has trained over 6,000 women in Sindh’s poorest areas through 316 Business Development Groups.
“Our aim is to connect these women with high-end markets and ensure better incomes,” he said.
Sindh government spokesperson Sadia Javed said the SRSO, part of a larger poverty-reduction initiative, provides loans and support to woman artisans, and with a 98 percent repayment rate, it has proven highly effective.
“Earlier, this program was limited to a few districts,” Javed said. “Now, it has expanded to urban slums in Karachi and Sukkur.”
For women like Lal and Baloch, the SRSO has brought more than financial stability.
It has brought them dignity and hope.
“I am extremely grateful to Allah for making the SRSO the means through which I was empowered,” said Baloch, who could not study beyond the fifth grade, but has managed to send two of her daughters to university.
“Today, I am successful, and so are my children.”

Topics: Sindh artisan program Sindh art

Pakistani forces kill five militants in intelligence-based operation in northwest

Updated 10 January 2025
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Pakistani forces kill five militants in intelligence-based operation in northwest

  • Operation took place a day after more than a dozen atomic energy workers were abducted in Lakki Marwat
  • The prime minister lauds the professionalism of security forces, saying the whole nation stands with them
Updated 10 January 2025
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Pakistani security forces killed five militants in an intelligence-based operation on Friday in the volatile northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to a statement by the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The operation comes amid a surge in militant violence in the region, which Pakistan has attributed to cross-border attacks from Afghanistan by groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Afghan authorities have denied these allegations.
The operation followed an incident a day earlier when armed militants abducted 17 Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission workers and their driver in the restive Lakki Marwat district. Eight of them were freed after a few hours.
“On 10 January 2024, Security Forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in general area Maddi, Dera Ismail Khan District on reported presence of khwarij [TTP militants],” the ISPR said in the statement.
“During conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged khwarij’s location,” it continued, adding that five of them, including their ring leader, Shafiullah alias Shafi, were killed as a result.
Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the militants, who were involved in attacks on security forces and the targeted killings of civilians, the statement said.
Subsequently, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the professionalism of security officials, vowing to continue the fight against militancy until it was eradicated from the country.
He said the whole nation stood united with the security forces.
“The entire country pays tribute to the bravery of our security personnel who risk their lives to combat these enemies of the state,” he added.

Topics: militancy in Pakistan KP militancy

Four bodies recovered from coal mine in Pakistan’s southwest after deadly methane explosion

Updated 10 January 2025
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Four bodies recovered from coal mine in Pakistan’s southwest after deadly methane explosion

  • Twelve coalminers were trapped after the explosion on Thursday, with little chances of finding anyone alive
  • Mines in Balochistan are known for hazardous working conditions, where such accidents are not uncommon
Updated 10 January 2025
SAADULLAH AKHTER

QUETTA: Rescue teams in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province have retrieved four bodies from a coal mine following a methane gas explosion a day earlier in the Sanjdi coal field, about 40 kilometers from Quetta, which left a dozen miners trapped inside the mine.
According to a senior official of the provincial mining department overseeing the rescue work, the search for the other miners is still ongoing, though he maintained the chances of finding anyone alive were almost negligible.
Rescue teams from the mining department and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) have been working for the last 19 hours with heavy machinery.
“We have recovered four bodies after nearly 24 hours of the incident,” Abdul Ghani, Chief Inspector Mines Balochistan, told Arab News. “The workers were digging coal 4,000 feet inside the mine, and we have recovered the bodies at 3,000 feet. The search for other workers is still underway.”
Responding to a question, he said the entire mine had caved in due to the intensity of the explosion.
“An excavator from Quetta reached the site at midnight, and we succeeded in opening the mouth of the mine this morning,” he said.
“The mining department will conduct a thorough investigation to assess what kind of safety measures were put in place by the private mine owners,” he added.
Many coal mines in the province are operated by private companies, often under lease agreements with the government.
Ghani said that 11 of the miners were from Shangla, a town in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, while one was a resident of Balochistan.
Mines in Balochistan are known for hazardous working conditions and poor safety standards, where deadly incidents are not uncommon.
According to the provincial mining department, 82 coal miners working on different projects were killed in Balochistan last year in 46 reported mining accidents.

Topics: Pakistan coalminers coal mines

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