Muslim World League hosts ‘Declaration of Peace in Afghanistan’

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Updated 10 June 2021
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Muslim World League hosts ‘Declaration of Peace in Afghanistan’

  • Scholars of Afghanistan and Pakistan meet to discuss reconciliation and peace

The Muslim World League hosted on Thursday in Makkah, the conference “Declaration of Peace in Afghanistan”, with scholars of Afghanistan and Pakistan to discuss achieving reconciliation between the warring factions, under the auspices of Saudi Arabia.

The conference includes five sessions, in which more than 20 key speakers from senior scholars will speak on; peace, tolerance, moderation and reconciliation in Islam.

The opening session will be attended by Sheikh Dr. Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, President of the Association of Muslim Scholars, Sheikh Dr. Noor Al-Haq Qadri, Minister of Islamic Affairs and Tolerance of Religions in the Republic of Pakistan, and Sheikh Muhammad Qasim Halimi, Minister of Hajj, Endowments and Guidance in the Republic of Afghanistan.

Senior scholars of the two countries will also attend this session, Ambassador Lt. Gen. Bilal Akbar, Ambassador of the Republic of Pakistan to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Ahmed Javed Mojadidi, Ambassador of the Republic of Afghanistan to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Pakistan to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and Ambassador Dr. Shafiq Samim, Permanent Representative The Republic of Afghanistan to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.


UN raises alarm on civilian deaths in Khartoum attacks

Updated 14 min 13 sec ago
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UN raises alarm on civilian deaths in Khartoum attacks

Geneva: Dozens of civilians have been killed by shelling and bombardments in and around Khartoum, the United Nations said Thursday, as fighting for control of the Sudanese capital intensifies.
The UN Human Rights Office demanded an end to the “lawlessness and impunity” in war-ravaged Sudan, where the SAF regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been locked in a battle for power since April 2023.
“We are receiving troubling reports of escalating violence against civilians in Khartoum, amid continued intense hostilities,” spokesman Seif Magango said in a statement.
“Dozens of civilians, including local humanitarian volunteers, have been killed by artillery shelling and aerial bombardment by the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces in eastern Khartoum and north Omdurman since March 12.”
The war has escalated in recent months, with the army seeking to reclaim territory in Khartoum and beyond.
Less than a kilometer now separates army units in central Khartoum from the presidential palace, overrun by RSF troops at the start of the war.
Nearly two years of fighting have left large swathes of the capital unrecognizable.
Magango said credible reports indicated that the RSF and allied militia had raided homes in eastern Khartoum, carrying out summary killings and arbitrary detentions, and looted food and medical supplies from community kitchens and medical clinics.
The UN rights office has also received allegations of sexual violence in the Al Giraif Gharb neighborhood.
Meanwhile SAF and affiliated fighters are also reported to have engaged in looting and other criminal activities in areas they control in Khartoum North and East Nile, Magango said, amid widespread arbitrary arrests in East Nile.
“We call once again on both parties — and all states with influence over them — to take concrete steps to ensure the effective protection of civilians, and to bring an end to the continuing lawlessness and impunity,” Magango said.
The fighting has plunged Sudan into what the UN calls the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe.


More expansions on horizon for T20 franchise cricket

Updated 31 min 34 sec ago
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More expansions on horizon for T20 franchise cricket

  • Beyond financial considerations, leagues have a duty to support ailing domestic structures and act as platforms for developing better talent

The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League begins on Sunday, March 23, with the final scheduled for May 25. This year, the Pakistan Super League will overlap with the IPL, because it had to make way for Pakistan’s hosting of the ICC Champions Trophy.

Compared with the IPL’s 74 matches, the 10th edition of the PSL will feature 44, opening on April 8 and ending on May 19. As further evidence of the expansion of T20 franchise cricket, this number is set to change in 2026.

The Pakistan Cricket Board hopes to expand the PSL from six teams to eight. The existing franchises operate under a 10-year agreement which ends after this season. Expansion outside of the current four cities — Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Multan — is under consideration whilst media and sponsorship rights will be up for sale with the aim of strengthening the PSL’s commercial appeal and competitiveness.

A part of this recalibration will need to focus on the optimal time to hold an expanded tournament. The previous window in January to February now faces competition from SA20 in South Africa and ILT20 in the UAE. In addition, an increasingly intense battle for the top overseas players is a corollary of expanded franchise leagues.

It remains the case that the IPL attracts the best of those players. It has shown its strength by imposing penalties on any overseas player who, having been picked for a franchise, withdraws before the start of the season for other than medical or family reasons. England’s Harry Brook, who has just done so, faces a ban from participating in the IPL for two seasons. The decision may have something to do with him being touted as England’s next white ball captain.

Despite having separate windows in previous years, there are few players who have participated in both the IPL and PSL in the same season. Indeed, there have been few who have played in both leagues in different seasons. Fears that a clash of dates for the first time might lead to some acrimony over player choices were not realized until this week. Then, South African all-rounder Corbin Bosch withdrew from the Peshawar Zalmi squad in the PSL to join the Mumbai Indians in the IPL to replace an injury withdrawal. Subsequently, the PCB has served Bosch with a legal notice for breaching his contractual obligations.

Pakistan’s poor showing in the Champions Trophy has reinforced concerns its players and administrators are being left behind in cricket’s ever-changing landscape. These have led to the non-selection of Pakistan players for The Hundred, which occupies August in England and Wales. Fifty of them — 45 men and five women — registered for the draft. It is the first time no Pakistani players have been selected. The purchase of equity in four of the franchises by Indian investors has prompted murmurings of a possible “soft ban.” Pakistan players have not played in the IPL since 2008 and the global spread of Indian franchise ownership has led to suspicions of tacit discrimination.

As far as The Hundred is concerned the reality is likely to be more prosaic, as the Pakistani players have overlapping international commitments. Pakistan is scheduled to play ODIs and T20Is in the West Indies from late July to mid-August and may play a T20I series against Afghanistan before the Asia Cup begins mid-September. Franchises are also likely to be worried about the PCB’s stance towards releasing players with domestically contracted obligations. There are already tensions. 

Another concern is the value which Pakistan’s players currently bring to the franchise. Recent performances have been disappointing and they may be caught in a vicious circle of not being able to improve because they are not getting picked. Additionally, they are not being exposed to the latest developments, coaching and analytical tools.

It is easy to assume franchise cricket is all about money; it is, to a large extent. Players cannot be blamed for cashing in, investors and sponsors require a return on their investments, whilst some administrators have regarded it as a lifesaving device for ailing domestic structures. However, the leagues should be more than that, acting as a platform to promote those structures and develop better talent. ILT20 in the UAE has been criticized for having too many overseas players but its long-term objective is to develop domestic cricket.

National boards have been able act unilaterally in setting up leagues, only requiring sanction from the ICC, which rarely refuses. Outside this largely unregulated market a new entrant is rumored to be at its gates. Cricket’s media machine is rife with the story that a new league is being discussed with the potential to produce a seismic twist to the game’s landscape.

The rumor appears to have emanated from Australia. It focuses on competitions for both men and women modelled on tennis and its Grand Slams, with eight new teams which assemble and play matches in four different locations during the year. Neither the proposed identity and composition of the teams, nor the times of year when the matches could be played, have been revealed. There are few vacant windows in an already crowded calendar. This has led to immediate pushback from several national boards, keen to protect their domestic franchises.

Currently, the cricket economy is based largely on income received from broadcasters and distributions from ICC events. It is weighted heavily in favor of India, followed by Australia and England. Smaller nations struggle financially, a situation which will worsen if sales of broadcasting rights in the next cycle generate less than the current one, a possibility given concerns over value provided during the 2024 World Cup. Boards may be attracted by an alternative revenue source.

If the rumors are true, a major backer of the proposed league — to the tune of $500m — could be SRJ Sports Investments, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund. Clearly, there is much that needs to be fleshed out — not least player availability, especially those from India; the economic model to be adopted; and the impact on existing structures, both spatial and temporal. It is questionable if those structures can cope with even more pressure.


BankIslami unveils ‘Aik,’ Pakistan’s first fully digital Islamic banking solution 

Updated 31 min 41 sec ago
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BankIslami unveils ‘Aik,’ Pakistan’s first fully digital Islamic banking solution 

  • ‘Aik’ is designed to seamlessly integrate essential banking features, offers Qibla direction tool
  • The bank says it is spearheading digital transformation of Islamic finance for tech-savvy clientele

KARACHI: An Islamic commercial bank in Pakistan announced on Wednesday it had launched the country’s first digital Islamic banking solution designed to deliver seamless Shariah-compliant financial services nationwide.
BankIslami Pakistan Limited was incorporated in Pakistan in 2004 and commenced operations in April 2006 as the first Islamic bank in the country to receive a license from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) under the 2003 Islamic Banking Policy.
It announced the launch of “Aik” in a statement, saying it would help lead the way in the digital transformation of Islamic finance in Pakistan.
“Aik translates to ‘one’ — a symbol of simplicity, unity and our shared vision for an ethical, Riba-free financial future,” Ashfaque Ahmad, the project lead, was quoted as saying in the statement.
“This platform fulfills a critical need in Pakistan’s banking landscape for a fully digital solution that aligns with Islamic principles without compromising convenience and accessibility,” he added.
The statement said the platform integrates essential banking features, including digital account opening with biometric authentication, instant money transfers, secure bill payments, mobile top-ups and an internationally accessible debit card, with other functionalities such as a Qibla direction tool.
Available for download on Google Play and the Apple App Store, Aik allows users to register using their CNIC and instantly access a secure, fully digital Islamic banking experience.
As one of Pakistan’s leading Islamic financial institutions, BankIslami currently operates over 540 branches and offers a comprehensive suite of Shariah-compliant products.
With the launch of Aik, the bank said it was spearheading the digital transformation of Islamic finance for a tech-savvy clientele in the country.


Tadawul approves Merrill Lynch Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as market maker for 20 listed securities

Updated 21 min 32 sec ago
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Tadawul approves Merrill Lynch Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as market maker for 20 listed securities

RIYADH: Saudi Exchange has approved Merrill Lynch Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to act as market maker for 20 listed securities across the main trading platform and the parallel index.

This decision allows the company to enhance market liquidity and improve price efficiency in accordance with regulations and procedures.

Merrill Lynch Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s participation in market making is expected to contribute to greater liquidity and a more efficient trading environment, reinforcing the development of the country’s capital market.

This move aligns with the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to attract global financial institutions and strengthen its capital markets by promoting transparency, efficiency, and investor confidence.

Tadawul’s recent initiatives, such as the introduction of the Fixed Income Market Making Framework, underscore the commitment to bolster market liquidity and efficiency. 

These developments are integral to attracting both domestic and international investors, fostering a more dynamic and robust capital market environment in the Kingdom. ​

Among the securities listed on the main index, Merrill Lynch Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will act as a market maker for Naseej International Trading Co., ensuring a minimum presence of orders at 70 percent, maintaining a size of SR75,000 ($19,995), and adhering to a maximum spread of 0.75 percent, with a minimum value traded of 5 percent.

Similarly, it will provide services for the National Co. for Glass Industries under the same trading obligations as Naseej International Trading Co.

The National Co. for Learning and Education will have a minimum order presence of 70 percent, a minimum size of SR50,000, a maximum spread of 0.75 percent, and a minimum value traded of 5 percent.

Meanwhile, Al Hassan Ghazi Ibrahim Shaker Co. will adhere to the same market-making requirements as Naseej International Trading Co. and the National Co. for Glass Industries.

Sustained Infrastructure Holding Co. and Theeb Rent a Car Co. will also be covered under similar obligations, ensuring a minimum presence of orders at 70 percent, a minimum size of SR75,000, a maximum spread of 0.75 percent, and a minimum value traded of 5 percent.

Saudia Dairy and Foodstuff Co. will have a minimum order presence of 80 percent, a minimum size of SR75,000, a maximum spread of 0.65 percent, and a minimum value traded of 5 percent.

Dallah Healthcare Co. will operate under the same market-making conditions as Naseej International Trading Co., while Gulf Insurance Group will have a minimum order presence of 60 percent, a minimum size of SR50,000, a maximum spread of 1 percent, and a minimum value traded of 5 percent.

Aldawaa Medical Services Co. will be subject to a minimum order presence of 80 percent, a minimum size of SR75,000, a maximum spread of 0.65 percent, and a minimum value traded of 5 percent.

Meanwhile, Tourism Enterprise Co. will ensure a minimum order presence of 50 percent, a minimum size of SR250,000, and a maximum spread of 3 percent, with no specified minimum value traded.

On Nomu, Merrill Lynch Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was approved as a market maker for Atlas Elevators General Trading and Contracting Co., Riyadh Steel Co., Sure Global Tech Co., and Ladun Investment Co.

Additionally, the firm will provide market-making services for MOBI Industry Co., Molan Steel Co., and Fesh Fash Snack Food Production, as well as Yaqeen Capital Co. and Lana Medical Co.

For each of these securities, the firm will ensure a minimum presence of orders at 50 percent, maintain a minimum size of SR50,000, and adhere to a maximum spread of 5 percent, with no minimum value traded requirement.


Pakistan says ‘no question’ of recognizing Israel, gathering information on alleged delegation’s visit

Updated 20 March 2025
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Pakistan says ‘no question’ of recognizing Israel, gathering information on alleged delegation’s visit

  • Israeli newspaper reported this week 10-member Pakistani delegation visited Israel for a week
  • Foreign office says has no knowledge of delegation members and what passports they were traveling on

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Foreign Office said on Thursday there was no change in the country’s position that it did not recognize Israel, adding that officials were gathering information on an alleged visit to the Middle Eastern country by a local delegation of journalists and influencers. 

A media report by the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom said on Wednesday a 10-member Pakistani delegation of journalists, intellectuals and influencers had visited Israel for a week.

Pakistan does not recognize the state of Israel, and its passport explicitly states that it cannot be used for travel to the country. Islamabad has repeatedly called for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. 

“As far as Pakistan’s position is concerned, it’s very unambiguous,” Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters at a weekly media briefing in Islamabad.

“There is no question of a change in Pakistan’s position on the question of recognition of Israel or on the question of Palestine or Israel or on the question of Palestine or the Arab-Israel problems.”

Responding to a question on the reported visit of the Pakistani delegation, the spokesperson said the trip had nothing to do with the foreign ministry or government.

“We are gathering information and when we have a clearer picture, we will be able to comment on that,” he added. 

“We don’t know who was there [Israel] and what kind of passport they were carrying, maybe they were dual nationalities.”

The Hayon newspaper report said the ten Pakistani journalists and researchers, including two women, arrived in Israel last Monday and carried passports declaring their invalidity for travel to Israel. 

“Despite this, they bravely accepted an invitation from Sharaka, an organization working to strengthen relations between Israel and South Asian countries,” the report said. 

“To protect the delegation members, their passports were not stamped, and publication of their visit was delayed until they returned safely home.”

RESUMPTION OF GAZA WAR

Commenting on Israel resuming its bombing campaign and ground operations in Gaza, the FO spokesman said Pakistan “unequivocally condemned” the assault in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, calling it a “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement [signed in January].”

Tuesday’s first day of resumed airstrikes killed more than 400 Palestinians, one of the deadliest days of the war. At least 510 Palestinians have been killed in the past three days, more than half of them women and children, Khalil Al-Deqran, the spokesperson of Gaza’s health ministry told Reuters.

The surprise bombardment has threatened to fully reignite the 17-month-old war, with Israeli officials saying the operation was expected to expand.

“Israel’s airstrikes and raids are a flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement; international humanitarian law; the UN Charter, and hampers the confidence and faith in the global community and international law,” Khan added.

“We also call on the international community to increase its efforts to end Israel’s genocidal campaign against the innocent people of Palestine. We call for accountability of Israeli crimes committed in this brutal war, as a crucial step toward restoring international legitimacy.”