ABU DHABI: The competition-leading Lahore Qalandars had a 10-run win over Peshawar Zalmi as the second game in the first double-header since the resumption of the Pakistan Super League finished in the early hours of Friday morning.
The Qalandars slipped to 25-4 after 7 1/2 overs before Ben Dunk (48) and Tim David combined in an 81-run partnership to re-set the innings. David, who finished unbeaten on 64 from 36 balls, then shared a late 47-run stand with James Faulkner (22) to lift the Qalandars to 170-8.
Faulkner took two wickets in his first over, the second of the innings, to have Peshawar in early trouble before Rashid Khan took a pair in the 10th to keep the Qalandars in control.
Rashid returned 5-20 to restrict Peshawar to 160-8, despite Shoaib Malik’s 48-ball 73.
In the earlier game, Babar Azam’s unbeaten half century went in vain as Multan Sultans defeated defending champion Karachi Kings by 12 runs.
Azam hit 85 off 63 balls, but Multan held Karachi to 164-7 through some disciplined seam and spin bowling.
After being put into bat, Multan did well in the end to push its total to 176-5 with left-handed Khushdil Shah remaining unbeaten on 44 off 32 balls.
Fast bowler Imran Khan claimed 3-28 and leg-spinner Imran Tahir picked up the key wickets of Martin Guptill and Afghanistan’s Najibullah Zadran, who both scored 11 runs each as Azam was kept in check by the Multan bowlers.
Azam took his time to settle down and got little support from the other end to challenge the target. Azam raised his 18th half century in the PSL off 45 balls but his five fours and four sixes in the end were not enough to carry his team home.
Khan claimed all his three wickets in the last over and was on a hat trick when he dismissed Thisara Perera and captain Imad Wasim off successive deliveries.
Qasim Akram denied Khan the hat trick before offering a tame catch off the last ball at extra cover.
South African Rilee Rossouw smashed seven fours in his quickfire 44 off 24 balls and it looked like Multan could cross the 200-run mark.
Rossouw and captain Mohammad Rizwan (29) shared a 68-run third wicket stand off 39 balls as Multan reached 107-2 by the halfway stage.
But Karachi hit back through Thisara Perera, who bagged 2-12 off his three overs as Rossouw sliced a catch to long on and Rizwan was run-out in the same over while attempting a needless second run.
The left-handed Shah propelled Multan’s total with an unbeaten 44 off 32 balls when he hammered Mohammad Amir for three fours and a six in the last over as the left-arm fast bowler, now retired from international cricket, finished with expensive figures of 0-42 off his four overs.
Pakistan’s premier Twenty20 league was moved to Abu Dhabi for the remaining 20 games after it was suspended in March when several players and support staff tested positive for COVID-19 in a bio-secure bubble at Karachi.
PSL: Lahore Qalandars bag late victory over Peshawar Zalmi in Abu Dhabi
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PSL: Lahore Qalandars bag late victory over Peshawar Zalmi in Abu Dhabi
- Starring performances from batsman Tim David and leg-spinner Rashid Khan powered Lahore Qalandars to a 10-run victory
- After setting daunting target of 171 runs, Lahore Qalandars were off to flying start with the ball, removing two openers in second over
IMF’s $2.5 billion inflows this fiscal year to back Pakistan’s return to global bonds — analysts
- The IMF country representative to Pakistan says the government’s program implementation remains strong
- Analysts say IMF support was crucial during default scare and will remain vital until economic stabilization
KARACHI: Pakistan is expected to receive about $2.5 billion in financing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the current fiscal year (FY26), which analysts say will support the country’s bid to re-enter the international bonds market through instruments such as sukuk or Panda bonds.
The funding will be part of the IMF’s $7 billion commitment to Pakistan over the next two years, comprising $5.2 billion under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and $1.4 billion through the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), aimed at strengthening the country’s foreign exchange reserves, according to the IMF’s latest country report.
“The first review under the RSF, if on schedule, would go to the Executive Board for approval sometime in late 2025, along with the second EFF review,” IMF’s resident representative Mahir Binici told Arab News in a text message.
The Fund’s second review of Pakistan’s economy and end-June 2025 performance criteria is scheduled for September 15. If completed successfully, it would lead to the release of approximately $1.04 billion under the EFF and $211 million through the RSF. A third review is scheduled for March 2026 and would entitle Pakistan to the same amount of funding, if cleared.
“This would be the earliest time at which Pakistan could access RSF-related financing,” said Mahir, referring to the $1.4 billion climate resilience loan the lender approved earlier this year in May. The RSF will be disbursed in equal tranches of about $211 million over the next 28 months.
Pakistan is consistently ranked among the nations most vulnerable to climate change. The country suffered its worst floods in 2022, which killed over 1,700 people, displaced millions and caused infrastructure damage worth an estimated $30 billion. Even this monsoon season, flash floods have already killed more than 60 people, mostly in the country’s northwest and central regions.
The climate funding will be disbursed “with each joint EFF and RSF review,” Mahir said.
“The first EFF review and RSF request were recently concluded, and the program implementation has been strong,” he said in response to a question about Pakistan’s performance in terms of compliance with the loan’s conditions.
Sana Tawfik, a Karachi-based economist and head of research at Arif Habib Ltd., said the IMF’s financial support was a key factor behind Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic indicators and would keep the government on track to secure funding from both bilateral and commercial lenders.
“The bilateral lenders like China, Saudi Arabia and other countries, as well as Pakistan’s commercial lenders closely observe whether or not the IMF is onboard,” she said.
Tawfik maintained Pakistan was aiming to return to the international bonds market, potentially through a sukuk issue or Panda bonds.
In March, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said his government aimed to raise about $200 million through Panda bonds by December 2025 to diversify funding sources, reduce dependence on Western markets, and boost foreign exchange reserves.
The move came after an improvement in Pakistan’s sovereign credit rating by three major agencies, with the government targeting a “single-B” rating to regain access to global debt markets.
“The IMF staying on board is very important for this,” Tawfik said, adding that continued dollar inflows were also critical to repaying Pakistan’s external debt.
In FY26 alone, the country is expected to repay around $17 billion in foreign loans, excluding the current account deficit, according to IMF data.
“The significance of this 37-month loan program is that it came as a medium-term support for Pakistan and that’s why we are seeing improvement in our macroeconomic indicators,” she told Arab News.
Muhammad Waqas Ghani, head of research at JS Global Capital Ltd., said participation in the IMF program served as a crucial policy anchor, supporting structural reforms aimed at stabilizing Pakistan’s fragile economy.
While the country looks to tap global capital markets, Ghani said “association with the Fund is essential for enhancing confidence among both local and international investors.”
He added that continued IMF backing was key to unlocking further multilateral and bilateral support.
Tawfik agreed.
“The IMF support was important for Pakistan at the time [it came close to] default [in 2023] and it will remain important until we properly stabilize as an economy,” she said.
250,000 Pakistanis register for Hajj 2026 as deadline ends today
- Applicants can choose between government and private Hajj schemes after registering
- Registration is mandatory for all intending pilgrims, though no fee is required at this stage
ISLAMABAD: Some 250,000 Pakistanis have signed up to perform Hajj in 2026 as the deadline for mandatory registration ends today, Wednesday, state media reported.
Last month, the Ministry of Religious Affairs announced the launch of the Hajj registration process, which would remain open until July 9. After the deadline, applicants will be able to choose between the government and private Hajj schemes.
Intending pilgrims can register through 15 designated banks, and only those who complete the process will be eligible to perform Hajj next year. No fee is required at the registration stage.
“With just one day remaining for the mandatory registration of Hajj 2026, as many as 250,000 Pakistanis have completed the process,” the Associated Press of Pakistan said in a report on Tuesday.
“It is noteworthy to mention that Wednesday, July 9, is the final date for intending pilgrims to register for the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage.”
People may also submit their applications online, it said, adding that the expenses and other terms and conditions of Hajj 2026 will be issued separately as per the Hajj policy.
Registration is mandatory for pilgrims who were left out of the private scheme this year, as well as for Pakistanis residing abroad.
Pakistan had received a quota of 179,210 pilgrims from Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2025, evenly divided between the government and private Hajj operators.
However, a major portion of the private quota remained unutilized due to delays by companies in meeting payment and registration deadlines, while the government filled its full allocation of over 88,000 pilgrims.
Private operators blamed the situation on technical glitches such as payment issues and communication breakdowns.
Pakistan actress Humaira Asghar Ali found dead at Karachi home — police
- Ali’s body was discovered when a court bailiff arrived at her rented flat to get it vacated
- The actress appeared on ARY’s reality TV show ‘Tamasha’ as well as in a 2015 film ‘Jalaibee’
KARACHI: Humaira Asghar Ali, a Pakistani actor and model, was found dead at an apartment in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, police said late Tuesday.
Ali’s body was discovered when a court bailiff arrived at the rented apartment to get it vacated on court orders on a complaint filed by the landlord, according to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mehroz Ali.
“The landlord had filed a court case to have the premises vacated. Today, when the bailiff arrived with a court-issued break-and-enter order and forced open the door, the woman’s body was found inside,” SSP Ali told Arab News.
“The woman has been identified as Humaira Asghar Ali who was a TV actress. It has been learned that she was originally from Lahore.”
The deceased actor was best known for her appearances on ARY’s reality TV show ‘Tamasha’ as well as a 2015 action thriller, ‘Jalaibee.’
Following post-mortem, Karachi Police Surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed said, the deceased’s body was in a “very advanced stage of decomposition,” which suggested that she died around a month ago.
“We have collected all relevant samples for analysis. Cause of death reserved,” Syed said.
Ali’s death comes just weeks after renowned actress Ayesha Khan was found dead in her apartment in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal area, according to police.
Her neighbors reported a foul smell emitting out of her apartment that led to the discovery of the 84-year-old’s body.
Imran Khan’s sons to lobby US, march in Pakistan in new protest movement — sister
- Khan’s PTI party last week announced new protest campaign after top court denied it reserved parliamentary seats
- His sister says Khan’s sons will highlight rights situation in Pakistan in US, ‘injustice’ being done to ex-PM
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s sons, Sulaiman Khan and Kasim Khan, will lobby in the United States (US) about Pakistan’s human rights record before traveling to the South Asian country to join a protest movement by their father’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Khan’s sister announced on Tuesday.
The PTI last week announced it would launch a nationwide protest movement against the government after the Islamic month of Muharram, days after Pakistan’s top court denied the party reserved parliamentary seats for minorities and women.
Khan’s party has frequently held protests in recent years, demanding a probe into Feb. 2024 election results and the release of Khan, who has been jailed for nearly two years. His sons live in the UK and have not visited Pakistan in years, facing criticism by Khan opponents for not joining demonstrations for their father’s release, which his party was calling supporters from all over the nation to join.
Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, told reporters in Rawalpindi on Tuesday that his sons, Sulaiman and Kasim, had decided to travel from the United Kingdom (UK) to the US and would eventually arrive in Pakistan to play their role in the PTI’s protest campaign against the government.
“Firstly, they are going to America and they’re telling all their friends, ‘And we will go and tell them [US administration] about the human rights [situation] and what injustice is being done to their father [in Pakistan]’,” Aleema said.
“Secondly, Sulaiman [and] Qasim have said, ‘After that, we will come to Pakistan.’ And they want to play their part in the [protest] movement.”
This is not the first time Khan’s sons have spoken about Pakistan’s domestic politics and their father, who has been in jail on corruption and other charges.
In a rare interview with business influencer and citizen journalist Mario Nawfal in May, they had urged US President Donald Trump and the “people of influence” around the world to help free their father from prison, speaking of alleged “suppression of democracy” in Pakistan and a lack of basic facilities for Khan in his prison cell.
Khan’s PTI has held frequent protests demanding his release and against the Pakistani government over what it says were rigged general elections in Feb. 2024 and a campaign to subdue PTI and its support base since Khan’s ouster from the PM’s office in April 2022.
Pakistani authorities deny the allegations and accuse the ex-premier and his party of leading violent anti-government protests in the past, particularly in May 2023 and Nov. 2024. Hundreds of PTI supporters were jailed after riots allegedly ordered by the party against the army on May 9, 2023, while the government says four troops were killed in protests in November last year to demand Khan’s release. The PTI denies instigating followers to violence.
The PTI announced the latest round of protests after the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench on June 27 ruled that the party was not entitled to reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies, upholding an earlier verdict by the Peshawar High Court. The dispute arose after the PTI lost its electoral symbol ahead of the February 8, 2024 national polls and its candidates contested as independents.
Despite PTI-backed candidates winning the most general seats, the party was denied reserved seats for women and minorities, which are allocated to political parties based on proportional representation, by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The government lost its two-thirds majority in parliament in July 2024 when the top court reversed the ECP’s decision, terming it unconstitutional and ordering the reserved seats to be allocated to PTI. The ECP and the political parties had filed review petitions, which were accepted by the top court last week.
Chinese air chief hails Pakistan’s ‘textbook’ response in recent India conflict — ISPR
- PLA Air Force chief praises ‘precision and discipline’ of PAF in face of Indian aggression
- High-level visit follows Indian claims Beijing gave Pakistan ‘live inputs’ during four-day war
ISLAMABAD: The Chinese air chief has praised Pakistan’s military response during its May conflict with India as a “textbook example” of modern warfare, the Pakistan army said on Tuesday, quoting remarks that come amid renewed Indian allegations of Chinese support to Islamabad during their latest conflict in May.
Lt. Gen. Wang Gang, chief of staff of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), made the comments during a high-level visit to Islamabad on Monday, where he met Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu and discussed regional security, airpower cooperation, and bilateral military ties.
“He praised the decisive and measured response delivered by PAF pilots under the resolute leadership of the Air Chief, describing it as a textbook example of precision, discipline and courage in the face of unprovoked aggression,” the Pakistani army said in an official statement, quoting Wang.
The Chinese general “paid rich tribute to the exemplary performance” of the PAF during the conflict with India, which took place from May 7 to 10 and involved drones, missiles, and artillery fire before a US-brokered ceasefire ended hostilities.
Wang’s remarks follow claims by Indian Army Deputy Chief Lt. Gen. Rahul Singh, who last week alleged China had provided Pakistan with “live inputs” about Indian military positions during the May fighting. Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has rejected the claim as “factually incorrect” and a “shoddy attempt” to explain India’s battlefield failures.
While Beijing has not officially responded to the Indian allegations, the Chinese delegation’s strong endorsement of PAF’s conduct has added diplomatic weight to its deepening military alignment with Islamabad.
“Lt. Gen. Wang Gang expressed deep appreciation for the high state of operational readiness and the cutting-edge capabilities of Pakistan Air Force,” the official statement said, adding that he was “particularly impressed by PAF’s seamless integration of Multi-Domain Operations, terming it a hallmark of modern air warfare.”
The visiting delegation was also given a detailed briefing on the PAF’s evolving force structure, modernization plans and strategic initiatives.
Air Chief Marshal Sidhu “reiterated that Pakistan and China enjoy historic and time-tested ties rooted in mutual trust, strategic convergence and shared aspirations for regional peace & stability,” the statement added.
Pakistan and China have long collaborated on airpower development, including co-producing the JF-17 fighter jet and holding joint training exercises. But their military alignment has grown closer in recent years, particularly amid rising tensions with India, with whom both have longstanding disputes. The latest visit reinforces that trajectory, military observers say.
“The meeting stands as a testament to the shared resolve of Pakistan and China to advance their time-tested strategic partnership through deepened cooperation and innovation-driven collaboration,” the Pakistani military said.
In an address this week, Munir said India had failed to achieve its stated military objectives in “Operation Sindoor,” New Delhi’s campaign during the May conflict.
Pakistan said it launched “Operation Bunyan Al Marsoos” in retaliation for Indian attacks on civilian and military sites. India claimed it had only targeted militant infrastructure.
Tensions between the neighbors had escalated into a brief war after an April 2025 militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed several tourists, an incident New Delhi blamed on Pakistan, which Islamabad denied.
