Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem misses Olympic medal, wins hearts

Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem competes in the men's javelin throw qualification during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 4, 2021. (AFP)
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Updated 07 August 2021
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Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem misses Olympic medal, wins hearts

  • Poor boy from small town Mian Channu beat all odds to become first Pakistani ever to qualify for final of any Olympics track and field event
  • On Wednesday, he made it to final with third best throw of the day behind India’s Neeraj Chopra and Germany’s Johannes Vetter 

Rawalpindi/Lahore: Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem finished fifth in men's javelin in Tokyo on Saturday, while all eyes were on the athlete who is the first Pakistani in history to qualify for the final of any track and field event at the Olympics.
Neeraj Chopra won Saturday's event with 87.58 meters. The Czech Republic filled out the podium at Tokyo's Olympic Stadium, Jakub Vadlejch taking silver with 86.67m and Vitezslav Vesely claiming bronze with 85.44m.
Nadeem was fifth with 84.62m, after Germany's Julian Weber with 85.30m.

On Wednesday, Nadeem made it through to the final with the third best throw of the day at 85.16m, behind Chopra (86.65m) and Weber (85.64m). Ahead of the final on Saturday afternoon, he asked the nation for prayers.
“Pray for me,” he said in a video uploaded to Twitter. “Inshallah I will not let down the nation. Destines are changed with prayers.”


On Friday, a day before the final, Nadeem shared a video of his coach also appealing for prayers. 

“Pray for us, he [Nadeem] has qualified with your prayers,” Fayyaz Bukhari, who is accompanying the sportsman. in Tokyo, said. 
Nadeem added in the same video: “I am thankful to the Pakistani public whose prayers were with me.”

 

On Wednesday, when Nadeem qualified for the javelin final, the government of Pakistan’s official Twitter account cheered for him with the words: “Arshad Nadeem you have made us all proud!” 

“Prayers and best wishes for #ArshadNadeem,” information minister Chaudhry Fawad Husain 
wrote on Twitter on Saturday morning.

 

Indeed, when Nadeem went through to the final of the men’s javelin this week, his family, coaches and the public couldn’t help but marvel at how far the boy from a poor family and a small town he had come.
Nadeem was born in Mian Channu, a small city in Khanewal District, one of nine children of daily wage laborer Liaqat Ali. From a young age, he showed great versatility as an athlete, dabbling in whatever sports were on offer at school, from cricket to football to badminton.
By the time he was in the seventh grade, Nadeem had his heart set on being a cricketer. But his father told Arab News in an interview that he realized that he neither had the financial resources nor the connections to support his son in achieving a successful career in cricket. Already, upon the insistence of his elder sons, Ali had been convinced not to send Nadeem to work like his other male children but to help him instead pursue his passion for athletics.
“We are very poor people, I could not afford to send my children to high schools,” Ali said. “After a few classes, I told them to find themselves some work so they could contribute to the family income.”
One of his sons became a driver, another a police constable and one a clerk. But Nadeem was given a chance to pursue his dreams: “On seeing Arshad’s enthusiasm for sports and pressure from his elder brothers to let him make his career in sports, I took him to Khanewal Athletic Federation where, after some basic trials, he was admitted,” his father said.
Soon after, the boy caught the eye of Rasheed Ahmad Saqi during an athletics competition when he was just 12 years old. Saqi had a history of developing sportspeople in the division and became Nadeem’s first coach and mentor.
Saqi told Arab News he could not be prouder of Nadeem’s throw at the Olympics this Wednesday.
“God willing, he can throw up to 90 meters and bring glory for Pakistan,” Saqi said as he prayed for Nadeem to win at the javelin final today, Saturday.
He recalled how he saw a “spark” in 12-year-old Nadeem when he first arrived at the Federation, and “a restlessness to be the best.”
“Therefore, I took him under my supervision as a trainer,” the coach said. “I started taking him to inter-cities athletic competitions where he would leave the stamp of a true sportsman.”
“I decided to train him for javelin throw,” he added, saying Nadeem, at 6 feet 3 inches tall, had the right height and physique for the javelin throw.  
“Arshad’s family was so poor they could not even arrange shoes and sports kits for him, and the Federation had to arrange everything for him,” Saqi said.
The training and support paid off. 
In 2014, after Nadeem secured first place in a Punjab youth festival, Saqi decided “it was high time to induct him in any government department to raise and polish his talent more.”
“My job is to hunt talent, train athletes and introduce them to government sports departments to further their careers as athletes,” he added. “Therefore, I took him to WAPDA, Lahore, where another senior coach, Fayyaz Bukhari, took him under his supervision and trained him to reach the Tokyo Olympics.”
Before Tokyo, in May 2017, Nadeem won a bronze medal with a best throw of 76.33 meters at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku. In April 2018, he set a new personal best of 80.45 meters in the qualification round of the javelin throw event at the Commonwealth Games held on the Gold Coast, Australia. In August 2018, he won a bronze medal at the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he set a new personal best and national record of 80.75 meters.
As the only Pakistani athlete at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Nadeem achieved a new personal best and national record of 81.52 meters. In November 2019, Nadeem set a national record when he recorded 83.65 meters throw to win gold for WAPDA at the 33rd National Games in Peshawar. In December 2019, he won a gold medal with an 86.29 meters games record throw at the 13th South Asian Games in Nepal.
Now, all eyes are on the athlete’s performance at the javelin throw final.
On Friday, at Nadeem’s modest family home in Khanewal, his family and neighbors arranged a Qur’an recitation to pray for his success.
“We request the nation to pray for Arshad so that he may win the gold medal and make us all proud,” Nadeem’s elder brother Shahid Azeem said. 
Nadeem’s mother burst into tears while talking to Arab News.
“I always wanted to see my son on TV,” she said. “I always wondered how other people’s kids come on TV. ‘When will my son come on TV and we will see him hoisting Pakistan’s flag,’ I always used to think this.”
“There has never been, nor will there ever be, anything quite so special as the love between a mother and a son,” she added, “and my son has made me so proud.”


Veteran Pakistani actress Ayesha Khan passes away in Karachi— report 

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Veteran Pakistani actress Ayesha Khan passes away in Karachi— report 

  • Ayesha Khan, 77, found dead in her flat in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal area, local media widely reported
  • Khan had played prominent roles in iconic drama serials “Afshan,” “Uroosa and “Shaam Se Pehle”

ISLAMABAD: Veteran Pakistani actress Ayesha Khan was found dead in her flat in Karachi this week, various news outlets reported on Friday as tributes poured in from colleagues who had worked with her. 

As per reports in prominent Pakistani news websites such as The News, Geo.tv and other publications, 77-year-old Khan was found dead in her flat in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal area on Thursday. Quoting police, local media reports said Khan’s body seemed to be around a week old when it was found, adding that the actress was living alone.

Khan starred in several high-profile Pakistani drama serials such as “Afshan,” “Uroosa,” “Aanch,” “Bandhan” and “Shaam Se Pehle.” Fellow actors and colleagues paid tribute to the actress as news of her death spread.

Prominent actor Adnan Siddiqui recalled working alongside Khan in Uroosa, which was his first drama serial. 

“She was my on-screen mother but brought a compassion reminiscent of a maternal figure, a presence that soothed, grounded and made a space feel more human,” Siddiqui wrote on Instagram. 

Siddiqui said Khan was never loud but rather calm and let her “acting do the talking.”

“Ayesha jee wasn’t just an actor; she was an atmosphere. And her absence will be deeply felt,” he wrote. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Adnan Siddiqui (@adnansid1)

“Devastating. Rest in peace, Ayesha ji,” Pakistani actress Anoushay Abbasi wrote beneath Siddiqui’s post. 

As per Geo News, Khan’s body was discovered when her neighbors informed her family about a “foul smell” emitting from the actress’ apartment.

“After being informed, police rushed to the scene and shifted her body to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center for medico-legal formalities,” the report said. It added that police said a post-mortem would be conducted if requested by the family. 

Later, Khan’s body was shifted to Edhi Foundation’s mortuary in Karachi’s Sohrab Goth area, the report stated.


Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief performs over 4,484 successful eye surgeries in Pakistan

Updated 20 June 2025
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Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief performs over 4,484 successful eye surgeries in Pakistan

  • KSrelief holds free eye treatment camps in Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and Azad Kashmir regions
  • Teams examined 43,294 patients, distributed 11,050 eyeglasses free of charge, says state media

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) performed over 4,484 successful eye surgeries across Pakistan under a voluntary program to provide free medical services to the underprivileged, state-run media reported this week. 

The state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) reported on Thursday that KSrelief successfully concluded 11 comprehensive eye treatment camps in Pakistan under the “Noor Saudi Volunteer Program 2025.” These camps, PTV said, were organized in collaboration with the Al-Basar International Foundation and Ibrahim Eye Hospital Karachi.

The camps were held to provide free medical services to underprivileged individuals suffering from blindness or other eye-related ailments, it added. These camps were organized in both the urban and rural areas of Pakistan’s Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir regions where access to quality eye care services remains limited, PTV said. 

“During the campaign, medical teams examined a total of 43,294 patients and performed over 4,484 successful surgeries,” the state television said. “Additionally, 11,050 eyeglasses were distributed free of charge, along with the provision of prescribed medications to deserving patients.”

It said these camps were conducted in various Pakistani cities such as Karachi, Matli, Kandhkot, Shikarpur, Hyderabad, Naseerabad, Kharan, Khuzdar, Jhelum and Rawalakot. The camps enabled thousands of patients to benefit from specialized eye treatments due to which many were able to regain their vision.

“This initiative reflects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s strong humanitarian commitment and its dedication to enhancing the lives of people affected by visual impairments,” PTV said. 

KSrelief has implemented hundreds of projects in Pakistan worth millions of dollars to improve the lives of vulnerable communities. Efforts include emergency relief for natural disasters, and long-term projects addressing food security, health care, education, and shelter. 

The Saudi charity organization has one of the largest humanitarian budgets available to any aid agency across the world, which has allowed its officials to undertake a wide variety of projects in more than 80 countries. Pakistan is the fifth largest beneficiary of its aid and humanitarian activities and has greatly benefited from its assistance since the 2022 monsoon floods.


Pakistan’s defense minister says hybrid model ‘doing wonders’ as army chief on solo US visit

Updated 4 min 56 sec ago
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Pakistan’s defense minister says hybrid model ‘doing wonders’ as army chief on solo US visit

  • In rare comments by a sitting minister, Khawaja Asif describes civil-military hybrid system as “co-ownership of the power structure”
  • Army chief’s extended White House meeting with President Trump highlights military’s growing role in security, economic initiatives

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s defense minister has described the country’s governance as a “hybrid model” in which military and civilian leaders share power — an open secret in political circles but a rare public admission by a serving official that has taken on added significance amid the army chief’s solo visit to the United States and an unprecedented meeting with President Donald Trump.

Officials have presented Field Marshal Asim Munir’s trip as an effort to bolster security ties with Washington, particularly in light of last month’s military standoff with India and escalating hostilities in the Middle East. But the army chief’s meeting with Trump — without Pakistan’s prime minister or foreign minister present — has also drawn renewed attention to how much Islamabad relies on its army to handle high-stakes foreign relations, economic ties and sensitive regional issues.

The chief’s visit comes on the heels of the most serious clash in years between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India in which they exchanged drone, missile and artillery fire until a ceasefire brokered by Washington on May 10 brought an end to hostilities. Pakistan has declared victory in the confrontation, saying it downed six Indian fighter jets and struck military facilities. Munir’s leadership during the crisis has won him a rare promotion to field marshal and broad public support, reinforcing the military’s standing as one of the country’s most influential institutions despite past criticism of its outsized role in politics.

In an interview this week conducted as the army chief visited the United States for talks with Trump, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif acknowledged that the military’s prestige had “skyrocketed” after the conflict with India, calling it a “blessing in disguise,” but rejected that this would erode democratic authority or give the army unchecked control.

“No, it doesn’t worry me,” he told Arab News when asked if Pakistan’s history of direct and indirect military rule made him uneasy about the army’s stronger image.

“This is a hybrid model. It’s not an ideal democratic government … So, this arrangement, the hybrid arrangement, I think [it] is doing wonders,” Asif said, adding that the system was a practical necessity until Pakistan was “out of the woods as far as economic and governance problems are concerned.”

Commuters ride past a billboard with portraits of Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (2L), Navy Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf (3L), Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir (C), Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Baber (3R) and Chief Minister of the country's Punjab province Maryam Nawaz Sharif (2R), displayed along a street in Lahore on May 24, 2025. (AFP)

The long-running political instability and behind-the-scenes military influence in earlier decades had slowed democratic development, the defense chief argued, but the current arrangement had improved coordination.

Pakistan’s military has played a central role in national affairs since independence in 1947, including periods of direct rule after coups in 1958, 1977 and 1999, when General Pervez Musharraf toppled then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the elder brother of current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Musharraf ruled until 2008 when elections restored civilian governance. Even under elected governments, however, the army is widely considered the invisible guiding hand in politics and in shaping foreign policy, security strategy, and often key aspects of governance.

“If this sort of [hybrid] model was adopted way back in the 90s, things would have been much, much better,” Asif said, “because the confrontation between [military] establishment and the political government, it actually retarded the progress of our democracy.”

By contrast, he said, the current “de facto” hybrid arrangement had brought the army and elected leaders together on joint forums such as the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a civil-military body tasked with setting and managing economic priorities jointly and overseeing big-ticket investments and trade reforms.

“We have common platforms, like SIFC and other platforms, where military leadership and civilian leadership, they sit together and decide about the business,” Asif said. “So, this is something which is a de facto arrangement and it’s working very well.”

The military’s media wing did not respond to a request for comments. 

“TOTAL AGREEMENT”

Asif’s remarks about power-sharing with the army on an ever-expanding policy portfolio appear particularly relevant after Munir’s rare White House meeting with Trump on Wednesday, the first time in years that a Pakistani army chief was received by a sitting US president without civilian leadership present.

Munir was accompanied by National Security Adviser Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik, Pakistan’s serving intelligence chief who now also holds the national security portfolio. This too is a first for the country: that a sitting ISI director general is serving as NSA.

According to a statement from ISPR, the military’s public relations wing, the Munir-Trump meeting lasted two hours instead of the scheduled one, and covered not only security cooperation and the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict but also wider collaboration in “trade, economic development, mines and minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, cryptocurrency, and emerging technologies.” 

These are areas traditionally handled by civilian ministries.

While independent analysts say this reflects the military’s increasingly visible role in economic and financial initiatives and could permanently weaken civilian supremacy in these domains, Asif insisted PM Sharif remained firmly in charge of key decisions:

“It’s something mutual, we have a co-ownership of the power structure …

“There is no superimposed system or superimposed organization on Shehbaz Sharif which dictates him and he acts accordingly … [He] is making his decisions independently and obviously he is in regular consultation with the establishment on all levels.”

But were there “crisis moments” in the relationships when the prime minister had not prevailed over the army chief in decision-making?

Asif responded:

“Believe me, very honestly, we haven’t had any moment where decisions were not made unanimously with total agreement. Things are moving very smoothly. And god willing, one day we will achieve the sort of democracy which is needed by our country.”


Pakistan issues pre-monsoon rain alert from today, warns of urban flooding and damage risks

Updated 20 June 2025
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Pakistan issues pre-monsoon rain alert from today, warns of urban flooding and damage risks

  • Punjab government launches flood awareness campaign amid projections of 25 percent above-average rainfall
  • Pakistan is among top ten countries most vulnerable to climate change, faces extreme weather events

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast pre-monsoon rains across various parts of the country from today, Friday, warning of possible urban flooding and infrastructure damage in several regions.

The alert comes as Pakistan braces for another season of extreme weather, following deadly heatwaves and catastrophic floods in recent years.

Ranked among the ten most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, Pakistan is ramping up preparedness efforts, especially in Punjab, where authorities expect significantly above-average rainfall this monsoon.

“Pre-monsoon rains are predicted in the country from June 20-23 with occasional gaps,” the PMD said in its advisory issued on Thursday. “Moist currents from Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea are penetrating upper and central parts of the country and a westerly wave is also likely to approach upper parts on June 20.”

The department said dust storms, rain with wind and thundershowers, including isolated heavy rainfall and hailstorms, were expected in parts of Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and numerous districts of Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Affected areas include Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Mardan, Swat, Chitral, Abbottabad and Waziristan among others.

Similar conditions were also forecast for Sukkur, Larkana, Dadu, and Jacobabad in Sindh province from June 22 to 24.

PMD cautioned that such weather could damage loose infrastructure such as electric poles, trees, vehicles and solar panels, particularly in upper and central regions including Islamabad.

It added that intense heat was expected to ease gradually over the forecast period, advising farmers to plan agricultural activities accordingly.

PMD also warned urban flooding could occur in Lahore, Gujranwala and the Islamabad-Rawalpindi region.

Authorities have urged the public, travelers and tourists to exercise caution.

ABOVE-NORMAL RAINFALL

Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of Punjab said on Thursday the province was likely to experience 25 percent more rainfall this monsoon season, with northeastern districts expected to receive 40 percent to 60 percent above-normal rainfall.

“This projection necessitates proactive and coordinated efforts to mitigate risks associated with urban and riverine flooding,” the authority said, adding that all necessary arrangements had been completed to respond to any emergencies.

The provincial government has begun distributing pamphlets to raise public awareness about the dangers of floods, heavy rains and strong winds.

Pakistan experienced devastating floods in 2022 that left more than 1,700 people dead and displaced over 33 million across the country.

Experts described the disaster as a consequence of climate change, after floodwaters destroyed homes, farmland, and public infrastructure, causing financial losses exceeding $35 billion.


Pakistan reports 99% drop in polio cases, urges more investment at Gavi board meeting

Updated 19 June 2025
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Pakistan reports 99% drop in polio cases, urges more investment at Gavi board meeting

  • Pakistan has reported 10 polio cases so far in 2025, compared to 74 in 2024
  • Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only countries where polio is still endemic

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has recorded a 99% decline in polio cases, Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal told the Gavi board meeting on Thursday, calling for more investments to "train and retain" vaccinators.

The global vaccine organization Gavi helps low-income countries buy vaccines to protect against killer diseases. Around one billion children have been immunized as a result of Gavi’s work across the world since 2000.

Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure, making prevention through vaccination critical. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, along with the completion of the routine immunization schedule for all children, are essential to build strong immunity against the virus.

According to Pakistan’s polio program, 10 cases have been confirmed so far this year, with 74 reported in 2024.

Environmental surveillance carried out earlier this year has detected the virus in 272 sewage samples collected from 127 testing sites across 68 districts, indicating ongoing transmission.

"Pakistan has witnessed over a 99% decline in polio cases — a testament to our coordinated strategy, dedication of frontline workers and the collective efforts of all stakeholders," the health ministry quoted Kamal as saying following a virtual joint session of Gavi and Pakistan's Polio Oversight Board.

However, the statement did not specify the starting point for this decline.

"Strengthening the integrated immunization system requires continued support from both Gavi and the Polio Oversight Board,” he added. “We need additional investments to ensure the training and retention of vaccinators."

He called for implementing a joint strategy to reach zero-dose children and mobilizing biker teams to access far-flung areas.

The health minister said "coordinated microplanning and effective monitoring" between polio and the Expanded Program on Immunization was improving immunization coverage and delivering results.

Kamal said polio eradication remained the government's top priority, highlighting how Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif personally oversees the eradication efforts.

Pakistan, one of the last two countries where polio remains endemic, has made significant progress in curbing the virus, with annual cases dropping from around 20,000 in the early 1990s to just eight in 2018.

The country reported six cases in 2023 and only one in 2021.

Pakistan launched its polio eradication program in 1994, but efforts have repeatedly been hindered by widespread vaccine misinformation and resistance from hardline religious groups who claim immunization campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilize Muslim children or a front for espionage.

Militant groups have also targeted polio workers and their security escorts, often with deadly attacks that have hampered vaccination drives, particularly in the country’s remote and conflict-prone regions.

Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where the poliovirus remains endemic.