UNICEF says $39 million appeal for Pakistan’s flood-hit children still less than a third funded

An Internally displaced flood-affected boy looks out from a makeshift tent at Dera Allah Yar town in Jaffarabad district, Balochistan province, on September 6, 2022. (AFP)
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Updated 21 September 2022
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UNICEF says $39 million appeal for Pakistan’s flood-hit children still less than a third funded

  • The flooding has affected 33 million people, 16 million of which are children
  • Over 3 million of those children need immediate life-saving support, UN says

ISLAMABAD: UNICEF Pakistan Chief of Field Office in Balochistan, Gerida Birukila, has regretted that the body’s funding appeal for $39 million was still less than a third funded while the needs of children hit by devastating floods in Pakistan were continuing to grow.

The flooding has affected 33 million people, 16 million of which are children. Over 3 million of those children need immediate life-saving support, the United Nations refugee agency has said. Total deaths are close to hitting 1,600, with nearly a third of them children.

“The world needs to come together and help the children in Pakistan,” Birukila said at a press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on Tuesday.

“Our funding appeal for $39 million is still less than a third funded, and the needs of children will only continue to grow. Together we can save lives by delivering lifesaving health, nutrition, WASH [water, sanitation and hygiene], protection, and education services to every child in Pakistan who needs them the most.”

“Even after three weeks, large parts of the flood-affected areas are still submerged under water. Many of the roads and bridges have either been washed away or damaged. Thousands of families in the 81 calamity-hit districts are still cut off and desperately need support. Families have no food, safe water or medicines.

“Lack of food means a lot of the mothers are now anaemic and malnourished and have very low-weight babies.”

UNICEF has set up 71 mobile health camps, and temporary learning centers to help children cope with trauma.

Officials are warning they now risk losing control of the spread of infections in a dire situation UNICEF has described as “beyond bleak.”

Hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the floods are living in the open and as flood waters spread over hundreds of kilometers (miles) start to recede — which officials say may take two to six months — stagnant waters have led to diseases like malaria, dengue fever, skin and eye infections and acute diarrhea.


Cricket-mad Pakistan’s betting scene set for ICC Champions Trophy boom

Updated 9 sec ago
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Cricket-mad Pakistan’s betting scene set for ICC Champions Trophy boom

ISLAMABAD: While eight cricket teams are fighting for the ICC Champions Trophy which started last week, bookies and police will be playing a game of cat and mouse as fans in cricket-crazy Pakistan are expected to wager huge amounts during the international tournament.

Cricket betting exists as a complex, underground market in Pakistan, thriving through unregulated bookies, online platforms and informal betting networks. Authorities say they frequently crack down on betting rings but enforcement remains a challenge due to the widespread use of mobile apps and international betting websites.

Arab News spoke to two bookies and two regular sports bettors to gain insights into Pakistan’s underground betting market, its stakes and how it operates, its evolution in the digital age and the impact of major cricket events on betting activity in the country. 

One bookie, who wanted to be referred to by the initials AB due to fear of legal action, said sports betting had always been popular in Pakistan but had become more accessible in recent years with the rise of online applications. 

While he said he usually made the equivalent of about $1,700 — $3,500 during a regular international cricket match, he could expect to make up to $10,000 during a major tournament like the ICC Champions Trophy. 

“Millions of dollars throughout the world and billions of rupees in Pakistan are expected to change hands [during the Champions Trophy],” AB told Arab News in a telephone interview. 

When asked about the maximum amount people were willing to bet on a game between Pakistan and India, one of the world’s most intense sports rivalries, he said: 

“The more money a person has, the more he bets. We are talking billions of rupees here.”

One bettor Arab News spoke to, who wanted to be referred to by the assumed name Bilal, said the largest bet he had placed in one go was around $5,400, while the most amount of money he had won from a single cricket match was a staggering $89,538.

“But then I lost around $32,233 in the next match,” Bilal said, adding that he had learnt his lesson and did not place big bets anymore. The highest he would go during the Champions Trophy was around $350 a match. 

OLD VS NEW SYSTEM

Explaining the evolution of Pakistan’s betting scene, AB said the betting process had been entirely manual until about a decade ago. 

“Bookies were connected to international betting networks and offered players the rates from those platforms while charging a commission,” he explained. 

Under the old system, new players could only place bets if an existing player vouched for them, making the guarantor responsible for covering the new player’s losses if they failed to pay. This also protected against the risk of infiltration by undercover cops. 

This is how the system worked: Players would call the bookie directly to ask for betting rates and then place a bet, and the call was recorded as proof of the transaction.

That system gave bookmakers a greater margin, as the odds could fluctuate between the time a player inquired about a bet and when they actually placed it.

Today, bookies use betting apps, which eliminate the need for guarantors. Any player can contact a bookie directly, deposit a certain amount and receive a login ID with funds added to their account.

“Players can now access the app directly to place bets and withdraw their winnings after a match or tournament,” AB said. “We still allow our long-term players to bet now and pay later.”

A seasoned bettor from Karachi, who requested to be identified as Tariq, told Arab News he had been betting for the past 15 years, not just on cricket but also on football, horse racing and other sports.

“The manual process used to favor the bookies because players couldn’t see the real-time fluctuations in betting rates,” he said. “This allowed bookies to manipulate the odds and increase their profits.” 

Web-based betting had made the operation, including payouts, smoother however, Tariq added. 

“Before every cricket match, one team is the favorite while the other is the underdog depending on their previous performance,” AB, the bookie, added. “Betting on the favorite team yields lower earnings compared to betting on the underdog.”

He explained that if the odds for a match were 2:3, a $1 bet on the favorite team would yield $0.67 in profit while betting a dollar on the underdog would yield $1.50.

AB said the most common bets during cricket matches revolved around predicting the outcome of the match or series, while “fancy bets” involved wagering on the number of runs a team will score within a certain number of overs.

Bets could be placed on anything, he added, from which team would win the toss to which bowler would take the most number of wickets.

“For instance, at the start of a match, the first available fancy bet is usually for the first five or ten overs,” AB explained. “A player can bet on whether the batting team will score more or less than a certain number of runs, for example 40, within a specified number of overs, with this type of betting continuing throughout the match.”

PAYING UP

Often, the gambling dens operate under the very nose of the police, bookkeepers said. 

KC, another bookie who also refused to be identified by his full name and operates a den from a modest two-bedroom apartment in Karachi, told Arab News the police became active in striking deals with, and demanding heavier bribes from, bookkeepers before major cricket tournaments like the ICC Champions Trophy. 

“Corruption runs deep,” he said. “Some policemen even place their own bets.”

The first bookie, AB, said police were helpful both in looking the other way and allowing dens to operate, while raiding the set-ups of competitors or new bookies in the market. 

“Small bookies like me pay thousands of rupees weekly as protection money on a regular basis. But the policeman I’m in touch with has told me they won’t come to save me if there is a raid, the most they will do is alert me about the raid beforehand,” he said. 

AB said there was a fixed bribe rate on a weekly basis, but a percentage system was used for big matches, with the police getting a cut of earnings from big matches. 

“In a month from small bookies, police would be able to make around $5,500,” he added. “Rates don’t increase before tournaments but only for big matches.”

Tariq, the better, recalled a time he lost over a million rupees on credit and couldn’t pay on time.

“I received threats from bookies and even policemen called me asking me to visit them,” he said. 

The same works for bookies too sometimes: 

“If a bookie fails to pay, the police detain them until they clear their dues,” Tariq added. 

Speaking to Arab News on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media, a senior Karachi police official said gambling had largely shifted online, bringing it under the jurisdiction of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). However, he admitted that some physical gambling may still be taking place though its nature had changed. 

“It is rarely played with gamblers physically present in one location. This is why it now falls under the FIA’s jurisdiction,” the official said. 

A spokesperson for Sindh police said the issue did not fall under the domain of police. 

FIA spokesperson Abdul Ghafoor could not be reached for comment despite several attempts while FIA Deputy Director Media Mehmood Ali Khokhar sought questions via text message but did not respond.


Pakistan petroleum dealers threaten nationwide strike over oil price deregulation plans

Updated 25 min 9 sec ago
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Pakistan petroleum dealers threaten nationwide strike over oil price deregulation plans

  • Pakistan’s petroleum minister last week said government was introducing new policy to deregulate oil prices
  • Petroleum dealers association says price deregulation will encourage cartels, fuel inflation in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) said on Monday it would launch a countrywide strike against the government’s decision to deregulate oil prices, warning that the move would trigger an increase in smuggling, inflation and cartels dictating oil prices. 

Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik said last week the government was planning to introduce a deregulation policy allowing oil marketing companies (OMCs) to sell fuel at competitive rates to increase their market share. Under the policy, OMCs would be allowed to set their prices and sell petrol and diesel below the government’s announced rates.

The PPDA, which represents fuel station owners and petroleum dealers across Pakistan and advocates for fuel retailers’ interests in pricing, government policies and taxation, says it was not consulted on the government’s deregulation plans. 

“The government did not consult us, we oppose this move of theirs,” Abdul Sami Khan, PPDA chairman, told Arab News over the phone on Monday. “Our central organization will hold a meeting on this, following which we will announce a date for our strike if this decision is not reversed.”

In a press release on Sunday, the union warned that deregulation of oil prices would lead to an increase in smuggling of oil from Iran and the formation of cartels, “where only two or three companies will dominate, leading to unfair pricing practices.”

The PPDA also warned that deregulating oil prices would cause inflation to surge, adversely affecting consumers. 

“The PPDA calls for an immediate review of this decision and urges the government to engage with us to address these pressing concerns,” it said. “We stand ready to discuss and collaborate on a more equitable and transparent approach to the oil pricing system.”


Pakistan need big improvement after damaging India loss, says Shakeel

Updated 18 min 44 sec ago
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Pakistan need big improvement after damaging India loss, says Shakeel

  • Tournament favorites India beat Pakistan by six wickets, inspired by Virat Kohli’s century 
  • Pakistan losing wickets in bunches and are not building big partnerships, says Saud Shakeel

DUBAI: Top-order batsman Saud Shakeel said Pakistan must be better in every facet after a six-wicket defeat to arch-rivals India left the hosts on the brink of a Champions Trophy exit.

Shakeel top scored with 62 as Pakistan were dismissed for a below-par 241 in 49.4 overs in Sunday’s blockbuster Group A clash.

Tournament favorites India overhauled the target in 42.3 overs with a masterly unbeaten 100 by Virat Kohli.

Pakistan are hosts of the one-day event but the match took place in Dubai in front of a packed 25,000 crowd after India refused to travel to their neighbor.

“We did not play well in all three departments and that is why this result has come and we have to accept this,” Shakeel told reporters.

Pakistan were lifted by a third-wicket stand of 104 between Shakeel and skipper Mohammad Rizwan, who scored 46, but both fell in successive overs in the space of eight runs.
Shakeel said those wickets hurt Pakistan.

“We are losing wickets in bunches and are not building big partnerships,” he said.

He added: “When we were batting the pitch played slow. We tried to bat deep but it did not happen.

“I am sure fans will be disappointed, just like we are.”

The defeat left Pakistan at the bottom of Group A with two losses in as many games.

They now need other results to go in their favor to remain in contention for the semifinals.

“Some things did not go in our favor,” said spinner Abrar Ahmed, but agreed with Shakeel.

“We have to change a lot of things within the group.

“This tournament is like that — you go out if you lose one match. We have to improve our batting and have to do more work on bowling.”

Pakistan face Bangladesh in their last group match in Rawalpindi on Thursday, but both will already be eliminated if Bangladesh lose to New Zealand later on Monday.

Pakistan is hosting a major international cricket tournament for the first time in nearly three decades.


‘Prayers aren’t enough’: Angry Pakistan fans demand accountability after crushing loss to India

Updated 24 February 2025
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‘Prayers aren’t enough’: Angry Pakistan fans demand accountability after crushing loss to India

  • Pakistan stare at almost-certain first round Champions Trophy elimination following loss to India 
  • Passionate fans demand cricket board move beyond “familiar faces,” introduce fresh talent to squad

ISLAMABAD: Angry and dejected Pakistan fans demanded the country’s cricket stars be held accountable for the national squad’s lackluster performance against India on Sunday, which led to a crushing defeat at the hands of their arch-rivals in the Champions Trophy 2025 tournament. 
Thousands of cricket fans across Pakistan set up large screens on Sunday to watch subcontinent rivals India and Pakistan square off in Dubai. India ended up winning the contest by six wickets, cruising to a comfortable win largely due to the efforts of former captain Virat Kohli, who scored a century to mark his comeback after a slump in form. 
Hosts and defending champions Pakistan lost their second consecutive match of the tournament on Sunday. They stare at an almost first-round elimination, leaving passionate cricket fans angry, hurt and dejected. 
“We’re always praying for Pakistan’s success, but prayers alone aren’t enough,” Iqra Tahir, a cricket fan in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi, told Reuters. “We need to focus on improving our performance. It’s time for us to take responsibility and work on our game.”
Sufyan, another supporter from Karachi, wore an Indian cricket jersey to the match. He said Pakistan lost as the team lacked hard work, skill and fitness, praising Kohli for his stellar knock.
“You can’t match Kohli’s skill and form. He was due for a comeback after a year-long slump, and predictably, he scored a century against Pakistan,” Sufyan said. 
Rimsha Tahir from Pakistan’s capital Islamabad said fans had high hopes from the national team, which were not fulfilled due to both poor batting and bowling. 
 “I urge the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) chairman to introduce fresh talent, moving beyond familiar faces to revitalize our game,” she said. 
Huzaifa Shahsawar, another fan from Islamabad, agreed. He pointed to Pakistan’s “subpar” fielding. 
“The team desperately needs re-training and accountability for their performance, which has left fans emotionally devastated,” he said. 
Pakistan’s title defense hangs by a thread following their defeat to India. The green shirts’ theoretical chances of making the last four will depend on other results. 


Pakistanis among 215 foreigners freed by Thai, Cambodian police in scam center raid

Updated 24 February 2025
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Pakistanis among 215 foreigners freed by Thai, Cambodian police in scam center raid

  • Rescued foreigners included 109 Thais, 50 Pakistanis, 48 Indians, five Taiwanese and three Indonesians, Thai government said 
  • Hundreds of thousands trafficked by criminal gangs, forced to work in scam centers, illegal online operations across Southeast Asia

BANGKOK: Thai and Cambodian police raided a building in a border town and freed 215 foreigners, a senior Thai official said on Sunday, in an expansion of a regional crackdown against cyber scam centers.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked by criminal gangs and forced to work in scam centers and illegal online operations across Southeast Asia, according to the United Nations. A UN report in 2023 estimated that the fast-growing operations generate billions of dollars annually.
The Sunday raid targeted a three-story building in the Cambodian border town of Poipet in Banteay Meanchey province. The rescued foreigners included 109 Thais, 50 Pakistanis, 48 Indians, five Taiwanese and three Indonesians, Thai government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said on Sunday.
“This is the largest number of Thais freed from a building suspected of cyber fraud for the two countries,” Jirayu said.
The raid was the result of a joint effort by Thailand and Cambodia to tackle scam centers, he said.
Scam centers have been operating for years. But they now face new scrutiny after the rescue of Chinese actor, Wang Xing, who was lured to Thailand with the promise of a job, and then abducted and taken to a scam center in Myanmar.
Southeast Asian countries have stepped up efforts to tackle scam centers with recent actions along the Thai-Myanmar border. Earlier this month, Thailand cut power, fuel and Internet supply to areas linked with scam centers.
China also repatriated 621 of its nationals rescued from scam centers in those areas over the past few days, the Thai army said on Saturday.