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Fit-again Afridi to lead defending champions Lahore in Pakistan Super League

Lahore Qalander's bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi is pictured during a warmup match in Lahore, Pakistan, on February 7, 2023. (@iShaheenAfridi/Twitter)
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Updated 12 February 2023
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Fit-again Afridi to lead defending champions Lahore in Pakistan Super League

  • Afridi led Lahore to its maiden PSL title last year in Pakistan’s premier domestic Twenty20 event 
  • The PSL has once again attracted several foreign Twenty20 specialists in a six-team tournament
Updated 12 February 2023
AP 

ISLAMABAD: Shaheen Shah Afridi will stage a comeback to competitive cricket after three months out with a freak knee injury to lead defending champions Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League, beginning from Monday. 

Afridi led Lahore to its maiden PSL title last year in Pakistan’s premier domestic Twenty20 tournament that has once again attracted several foreign T20 specialists in a six-team event also featuring two-time champions Islamabad United and past winners Multan Sultans, Karachi Kings, Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi. 

Afridi, the lanky left-arm fast bowler, has been Pakistan’s bowling mainstay for the last five years since making his international debut in 2018. But a knee injury during the final of the T20 World Cup against England saw him undergo a long strenuous rehabilitation program before finally getting ready for the PSL. 

“There were times when I wanted to give up,” Afridi said. “I was working on only one muscle and it was not improving. Often during the rehabilitation sessions, I used to say to myself ‘this is enough, I cannot do this anymore.’” 

Afridi used to watch his bowling videos on YouTube to keep himself motivated and ‘push a little more’ but was frustrated to miss international cricket because of injury. 

In Afridi’s absence England whitewashed Pakistan 3-0 in the test series during its historic comeback tour to Pakistan last December, while New Zealand twice came close to beating Pakistan in the drawn two-test series. 

Afridi, who has a tendency of picking up wickets in the batting powerplay, has taken 70 wickets since making his PSL debut during the third edition of the tournament in 2018. He is third behind his countrymen Wahab Riaz (103), who is the only bowler in the PSL history with over 100 wickets, and Hasan Ali (81). 

“PSL is one of the best leagues in the world and the quality of cricket tests you as a bowler,” Afridi said. “I am very excited to be making my comeback here … I am ticking both the bowling workload and fitness requirement boxes.” 

Lahore might rue the absence of hard-hitting England batter Harry Brook, who will be on national duty while star leg-spinner Rashid Khan will also miss the first three games due to his commitment with the Afghanistan national team. 

However, Lahore has drafted in Englishman Sam Billings and West Indian Shai Hoe to bolster its batting line-up which has the experience of Fakhar Zaman upfront. 

The combination of Afridi and Haris Rauf forms the best pace bowling pair in the PSL with the latter having the capability to tie down batters in the latter half of the innings with his pace and impeccable line and length. 

Pakistan all-format skipper Babar Azam, who won the ICC’s ODI cricketer of the year award for the second successive year, had a forgettable last year in the PSL when his team Karachi Kings could win only one of the 10 league games. 

This year Babar will be leading Peshawar Zalmi after he was traded to Karachi while T20 veteran Shoaib Malik and young middle-order batter Haider Ali were traded from Peshawar to Karachi. 

Karachi has the experience of Mohammad Amir in its bowling ranks and has also drafted Australian wicketkeeper Matthew Wade and fast bowler Andrew Tye. Although Englishman James Vince might not be available for the entire tournament, left-handed opener Sharjeel Khan will need to shoulder more of the burden of scoring in the absence of Babar. 

Sri Lanka’s Bhanuka Rajapaksa has bolstered Peshawar’s middle-order with young wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris and West Indian duo of Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford also among their ranks. 

Islamabad, winners of the first two of the three editions of the tournament, is a team which believes in match-ups and relies heavily on data to find a winning edge. Led by Shadab Khan, Islamabad has power-hitters in Paul Stirling and Asif Ali with young Azam Khan also making good progress in the T20 format after hitting a century in the recent Caribbean Premier League. 

Hasan and Faheem Ashraf are its experienced fast bowlers with Shadab tying down the batters with his legbreak bowling in the middle overs. 

Multan got beaten in the final last year and will open the PSL at home against Lahore on Monday. 

South African pair of Rilee Rossouw and David Miller, Shan Masood and skipper Mohammad Rizwan carry enough experience in the batting lineup, but its bowling resources look thin this year with Shahnawaz Dahani and tall leg-spinner Usama Mir likely to carry the bowling burden. 

It has beefed up the team in the replacement draft by drafting in globe-trotter T20 specialist Kieron Pollard of the West Indies. 

Veteran Sarfaraz Ahmed will be leading Quetta Gladiators for the eighth successive season after failing to qualify for the final in the last three editions since it won the tournament in 2019. 

Sarfaraz is expected to bat higher in the order and has got a red-hot Iftikhar Ahmed also in the ranks. Iftikhar hit six sixes in an over against Peshawar Zalmi’s Riaz during an exhibition PSL match last week in Quetta and also made his mark in this season’s Bangladesh Premier League. 

Karachi and Multan will host the first leg of the tournament before Rawalpindi and Lahore stage the second leg. Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will host the playoffs and the final on March 19. 

Topics: Pakistan Super League PSL 8 Shaheen Shah Afridi PSL 2023

Qatar Airways denies reports of office closures in Pakistan

Updated 9 sec ago
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Qatar Airways denies reports of office closures in Pakistan

  • The airline says flights to and from Pakistan have been operating as per schedule
  • Local media had claimed Qatar Airways had shut down offices in Pakistani cities
Updated 9 sec ago
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Qatar Airways on Wednesday denied media reports claiming it was shutting down operations in Pakistan and saying its “offices remain open.”
The airline, Qatar’s national carrier, was founded in 1993 and is wholly owned by the State of Qatar. Operating from its hub at Hamad International Airport in Doha, it has become one of the world’s leading airlines, known for its modern fleet, luxurious amenities, and extensive route network.
The clarification followed local media reports and statements from travel agents earlier this week, alleging that Qatar Airways had closed its offices and call centers across Pakistan, even as flights continued to operate on schedule.
“Qatar Airways flights to and from Pakistan are operating as usual and our offices remain open,” the airline said in a post on X. “Recent published reports claiming that Qatar Airways has closed offices in Pakistan are incorrect.”


Qatar Airways began operations in Pakistan in 1994, the year the airline was established.
Initially, it started flying to Karachi, but it has expanded its services to other major Pakistani cities, including Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar, since then.
The airline offers both domestic and international connections.

Topics: Qatar Airways Pakistan

Pakistan PM to inaugurate faceless customs assessment system today during Karachi visit

Updated 26 min 2 sec ago
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Pakistan PM to inaugurate faceless customs assessment system today during Karachi visit

  • Launched as a pilot project last month, the system aims to streamline customs clearance through automation
  • Shehbaz Sharif will also visit PSX to celebrate its achievement as the second-best performing global stock market
Updated 26 min 2 sec ago
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to inaugurate the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) new Faceless Customs Assessment System at the Karachi Port Trust during his daylong visit to the city, which began on Wednesday, to examine several key initiatives aimed at improving economic efficiency and health care services.
The Faceless Customs Assessment System, launched as a pilot project in December 2024, aims to streamline customs clearance through automation. By minimizing human interaction, the system seeks to enhance transparency, reduce clearance times and improve trade facilitation.
The initiative marks the first step in a broader government plan to scale up the system to upcountry ports and border stations in the coming months.
“The Prime Minister will visit the South Asia Pakistan Terminal at Karachi Port Trust, where he will inaugurate the FBR’s automated customs clearance system, the Faceless Customs Assessment System,” the PM Office said in a statement. “The Prime Minister had directed the installation of this system during his last visit to Karachi.”
Pakistan seeks to modernize its port facilities to transform itself into a transit trade hub. The country has also invited landlocked Central Asian nations to utilize its ports for access to global sea lanes, enhancing regional trade connectivity.
Sharif is also scheduled to attend a ceremony at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) to celebrate its achievement as the second-best performing stock market globally in 2024, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index rising 56 percent over the year.
His PSX visit comes at a time when the government aims to unlock both foreign and domestic investment to overcome a prolonged economic crisis. Pakistani officials have described the market’s strong performance as a reflection of growing investor confidence and the administration’s commitment to fiscal reforms and improved business facilitation.
Sharif will also attend the launch of the “Manual of Clinical Practice Guidelines” at Aga Khan University, calling it a milestone in Pakistan’s health care sector. The guidelines are expected to standardize medical practices and improve health care delivery nationwide.

Topics: Karachi

Protesters in Pakistan’s north continue blockade of key highway to China over power outages

Updated 08 January 2025
Reuters
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Protesters in Pakistan’s north continue blockade of key highway to China over power outages

  • Residents of Gilgit-Baltistan started a sit-in on Jan.1, vowing to protest until they got reliable electricity
  • Despite the area’s significance, some residents say they only get electricity for 30 minutes in 24 hours
Updated 08 January 2025
Reuters & Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of protesters in Pakistan’s northern Hunza Valley blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH) for the sixth consecutive day on Tuesday, demonstrating against severe power outages during the region’s freezing winter.
The protest, which began on January 1, involves local residents, political parties and civil society groups who vowed to continue their sit-in until their demands for reliable electricity were met.
Demonstrators on Tuesday voiced frustration over the Gilgit-Baltistan government’s failure to ensure even a few hours of power each day, saying over 80,000 people were struggling for basic needs.
The KKH, a vital trade and strategic route linking Pakistan with China, has been obstructed at Aliabad, the district headquarters of Hunza. The area plays a critical role in bilateral trade facilitated by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which has increased since an agreement to keep the Khunjerab Pass open year-round for economic exchanges.
“This is a nerve-breaking power outage in Hunza,” said Baba Jan, a protester, speaking at the sit-in. “We are getting power only 30-40 minutes in 24 hours.
“It is very cold here,” he added. “The temperature drops to minus 15 at night. Students don’t have Internet due to the power outage. There are issues in lighting, heating and cooking that people are facing here.”
Rehan Shah, another protester agreed, emphasizing the area’s important defense and strategic location.
“It’s the gate of CPEC and Pakistan-China connectivity,” he noted. “People here are hardly getting power for one hour and twenty minutes during the daytime. They’ve been out protesting on the streets for the last six days.”
Power cuts, known locally as load shedding, are a chronic issue in Pakistan, with many areas facing significant disruptions. The harsh winters in Gilgit-Baltistan exacerbate the problem, leaving residents without adequate heating or access to essential services.
Last week, Hamid Hussain, an engineer at the Gilgit-Baltistan Water and Power Department, acknowledged the issue but attributed it to technical limitations.
“The region heavily relies on hydropower, which often faces disruption in winter due to the freezing of rivers and lakes,” he told Arab News.
“There are 137 power stations in Gilgit-Baltistan,” he added. “The installed capacity of these power stations is 190 megawatts. However, power generation is 140 megawatts during the summer while 76 megawatts during the winter due to the low flow of water.”
Protesters have demanded thermal power generators to supplement energy needs during the winter, but Hussain said they were costly and were hard to implement due to financial constraints.

Topics: protest Hunza karakoram highway Pakistan China

Diplomat pays tribute as 89 Pakistani devotees attend Sufi saint’s death anniversary in India

Updated 08 January 2025
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Diplomat pays tribute as 89 Pakistani devotees attend Sufi saint’s death anniversary in India

  • Religious devotees are commemorating the 813th anniversary of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer
  • Despite strained relations between the two nuclear-armed states, cultural and exchanges continue
Updated 08 January 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A group of 89 Pakistani devotees began attending the 813th annual Urs, or death anniversary commemoration, of the 12th-century Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in India, with a Pakistani diplomat laying a traditional chaddar, or ceremonial cloth, at his shrine on Tuesday.

Born in 1141 in Sistan, modern-day Iran, Chishti arrived in India in the late 12th century and gained a following for his teachings of compassion and service to humanity, which resonated deeply with the region’s marginalized communities. Known as Gharib Nawaz, or Benefactor of the Poor, he established the Chishti Order of Sufism in South Asia.

His legacy as a symbol of interfaith harmony endures through his shrine in Ajmer, Rajasthan, which draws millions of devotees annually, particularly during the commemoration of his death anniversary.

“To participate in the 813th annual Urs Mubarak of Hazrat Khwaja Syed Moinuddin Hasan Chishti (RA), a group of 89 Pakistani Zaireen [pilgrims] is in Ajmeer Sharif from 7-9 January 2025,” the Pakistan High Commission said on X, formerly Twitter.

“Pakistani Zaireen accompanied by Second Secretary, Pakistan High Commission, New Delhi, Mr. Tariq Masroof, placed the traditional Chaddar at the Shrine of Hazrat Khwaja Syed Moinuddin Hasan Chishti,” it added.

The event underscores how cultural and religious exchanges have persisted between India and Pakistan despite strained diplomatic relations since August 2019, when New Delhi revoked Kashmir’s special constitutional status. The disputed Himalayan region has long been a flashpoint between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, who have fought wars and numerous border skirmishes over it.

Religious tourism remains a crucial element of people-to-people exchanges under the 1974 Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines, which permits citizens of both nations to visit sacred sites. These include Hindu and Sikh temples in Pakistan and Islamic shrines in India.

At the beginning of the year, the Pakistan High Commission announced it had issued 94 visas to Indian nationals to attend the birth anniversary of an 18th-century Hindu spiritual leader in Sindh province.
Pakistan has also promoted religious tourism by hosting Buddhist monks, as well as Hindu and Sikh pilgrims from India and other countries.

Topics: Pakistan India Hazrat Khwaja Syed Moinuddin Hasan Chishti

Pakistani authorities deny detaining 800 Afghans, say only repatriating illegal immigrants

Updated 08 January 2025
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Pakistani authorities deny detaining 800 Afghans, say only repatriating illegal immigrants

  • Afghan embassy recently said Islamabad administration was making arrests, targeting registered refugees
  • Pakistani authorities announced in November Afghan nationals would require NOCs to stay in Islamabad
Updated 08 January 2025
Fatimah Amjad

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration on Tuesday rejected claims by Afghanistan’s diplomatic mission it had detained approximately 800 Afghan citizens, asserting it was only repatriating illegal foreign nationals in accordance with the law.

Pakistan, which hosted over four million Afghan refugees after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, registered these individuals with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). They were issued Proof of Registration (PoR) cards and Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) to allow legal residence and access to services such as health care and banking.

Another wave of Afghan refugees arrived after the Taliban’s capture of Kabul in 2021 amid the withdrawal of US-led international forces. Confronted with economic challenges and a surge in militant violence perpetrated by groups reportedly operating from Afghan territory, Pakistan initiated a crackdown against “illegal immigrants,” mostly Afghans, citing security concerns.

Pakistani officials said in 2023 that some Afghan nationals had been involved in attacks, including suicide bombings, targeting civilians and security forces, a claimed denied by the administration in Kabul.

The Afghan embassy in Pakistan said on Monday authorities in Pakistan’s federal capital had detained about 800 Afghan nationals, including individuals registered with the UNHCR.

“It is clarified that only the illegal foreign nationals are being repatriated as per law of the land,” the ICT administration said in a statement.

“With regard to Afghan nationals, it is being clarified that those holding valid documentation— such as Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), visas, or those listed for third-country resettlement— are not being repatriated,” it added. “Islamabad Civil Administration remains committed to safeguarding the rights of all documented individuals.”

The statement further noted that search and combing operations were also conducted in compliance with the law, offering undocumented foreign nationals the chance to validate their status.

It also confirmed that in 2025, Islamabad authorities deported 183 illegal foreign nationals, while two were still in holding areas. Officials stressed that those deported lacked any legal documentation and reiterated that actions are taken strictly against undocumented individuals.

“The civil administration reaffirms its commitment to ensuring fair and humane treatment of all individuals while strictly adhering to legal requirements,” the ICT statement said, urging foreign nationals to carry valid documentation to avoid inconvenience.

Last year in November, Pakistani authorities announced that Afghan nationals would need no-objection certificates (NOCs) to stay in Islamabad. The decision followed the detention of several Afghan nationals who reportedly participated in a political rally by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which turned violent, resulting in casualties.

The Afghan embassy expressed concern over alleged “unwarranted arrests, home searches, and extortion targeting Afghan nationals,” highlighting the reported detentions, including 137 who, it said, were temporarily registered with the UNHCR and had applied for visa extensions.

Topics: Afghan refugees Pakistan Islamabad

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