Rizwan unhappy with number five slot in Pakistan order
Rizwan unhappy with number five slot in Pakistan order/node/2296206/pakistan
Rizwan unhappy with number five slot in Pakistan order
Pakistan's Muhammad Rizwan reacts after being hit by a delivery during the ICC men's Twenty20 World Cup 2022 final cricket match England and Pakistan at The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne on November 13, 2022. (AFP/File)
Rizwan unhappy with number five slot in Pakistan order
The 30-year-old has made the number four slot his own since 2019, scoring both his ODI hundreds at that position
Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique have been given the place in the opening two games of five-match series against NZ
Updated 02 May 2023
Reuters
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan said he is not happy with being pushed down the order to number five for the first two One-Day Internationals against New Zealand and the wicketkeeper-batsman wants to move back up a slot.
The 30-year-old has made the number four slot his own since 2019, scoring both his ODI hundreds at that position, but Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique have been given the place in the opening two games of the five-match series.
While Rizwan has excelled in the finisher’s role at five, helping his team win both games, he said he did not want to stay there.
“If you ask me honestly, I am not happy batting at number five (in ODIs), because I want to bat at number four,” he told a news conference on Monday.
“But it is not important that I get what I want.
“The captain and coach will do what they like. It is my own wish to bat at number four. But I have not complained to anyone.”
Rawalpindi hosted the first two ODIs but the series now switches to Karachi for the remaining three. The teams are scheduled to resume the series with game three on Wednesday.
New Zealand are without injured captain Kane Williamson and several frontline players taking part in the Indian Premier League.
The tourists also trailed the preceding Twenty20 series 2-0 before fighting back for a 2-2 draw and Rizwan said Pakistan must not get complacent.
“We want to forget the past, the good and the bad,” Rizwan said.
“The conditions and requirements in Rawalpindi were different.
“We will assess and adapt and look to win the series. That will be our focus.” (Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Peter Rutherford)
Pakistan eyes leadership in digital finance as it launches crypto council to regulate digital assets
The council will help integrate blockchain innovations into Pakistan’s financial framework
Pakistan’s finance chief says government wants responsible crypto ecosystem for economic growth
Updated 14 March 2025
ISMAIL DILAWAR
KARACHI: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Friday his country wanted to be a leader in digital finance as the government officially launched the Pakistan Crypto Council to establish regulatory guidelines for crypto adoption.
The newly established council is a government-backed initiative that seeks to integrate blockchain and cryptocurrency innovations into Pakistan’s financial and economic framework. Led by key policymakers, regulatory heads and industry experts, it plans to establish a progressive digital asset ecosystem.
The government’s decision to launch the council marks a shift in Pakistan’s stance on cryptocurrencies, moving from previous resistance to a more open and regulatory-focused approach.
“The world is moving rapidly toward digital finance, and Pakistan wishes to be a leader in the space,” an official statement circulated after the launch quoted the finance minister as saying.
“The establishment of the Pakistan Crypto Council is a step toward embracing innovation while ensuring that we create a regulatory framework that protects investors and the financial system,” he continued. “We are committed to fostering a responsible and progressive crypto ecosystem that can contribute to Pakistan’s economic growth.”
Earlier this month, the government appointed Bilal Bin Saqib as lead adviser to the finance minister to develop policy measures ahead of adopting digital currencies.
Saqib will serve as the council’s CEO, bringing his expertise in blockchain technology, investment strategy and digital innovation to spearhead the initiative.
“Our goal is to ensure that Pakistan becomes a competitive player in the global digital economy while prioritizing security, transparency and innovation,” he said at the launch. “By bringing together key stakeholders, we aim to strike a balance between progressive policymaking and fostering an environment where entrepreneurs and businesses can confidently explore the potential of blockchain technology.”
As the council begins operations, it aims to prioritize engagement with international crypto and blockchain organizations to ensure best practices.
It will also collaborate with fintech startups, investors and blockchain developers to encourage responsible innovation and safeguard consumers through a strong legal and compliance framework.
KARACHI: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Karachi to Lahore landed with a missing wheel at its destination, authorities said on Friday, adding that an investigation into the matter was underway.
PIA has faced a history of challenges, particularly regarding the safety and reliability of its flights. In May 2020, one of its planes crashed into a residential area near Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, killing 97 of the 99 people on board.
The crash led to deep scrutiny of PIA’s safety protocols, with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) suspending its authorization to operate in Europe, citing serious safety deficiencies. The ban severely impacted PIA’s international operations, tarnished the airline’s reputation and led to massive financial losses.
According to a PIA statement, PK-306 departed from Karachi to Lahore on Thursday and made a “smooth, uneventful” landing despite a wheel missing from the main landing gear.
“On the walk-around inspection by the captain, it was revealed that one out of the six-wheel assemblies on the main landing gear at the back side was missing,” the airline’s spokesperson, Abdullah Khan, said in the statement.
He added that PIA flight safety teams would submit a report in this regard once the investigation was complete.
“It is worth mentioning that the aircraft is designed to handle these contingencies and that at no point was there any risk posed to the equipment or to the passengers,” Khan said.
Later, the missing wheel of the plane was found near a remote parking bay at Karachi airport. The Pakistan Airports Authority confirmed that there was no evidence of casualties or property damage resulting from the wheel’s detachment.
The incident comes after EASA lifted the four-year ban on PIA on November 29, 2024, citing significant improvements in safety and regulatory compliance by Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority.
PIA welcomed the decision and promptly scheduled flights to European destinations. The first direct flight from Islamabad to Paris took off on January 10, 2025, marking the official resumption of PIA’s European operations.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, on Friday accused India of being the main sponsor of “terrorism” in Balochistan, as the death toll from a separatist group’s attack on a passenger train, which triggered a hostage crisis earlier this week, rose to 26.
The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) bombed part of a railway track and stormed the train on Tuesday afternoon in Mushkaaf, a rugged area in the mountainous Bolan range of Balochistan. The hostage crisis was resolved a day later when the armed forces conducted a successful operation to rescue the hostages, killing 33 militants in the process.
“We must understand that in this terrorist incident in Balochistan, and others before, the main sponsor is your eastern neighbor [India],” the military spokesperson said during a joint news conference with Chief Minister Balochistan Sardar Sarfraz Bugti in Islamabad, though New Delhi has previously denied such allegations.
He criticized the Indian media for “glorifying” the Jaffer Express attack, accusing it of launching an information warfare campaign while militants held hostages and forces assessed the situation.
“The Indian media was using videos shared by the internationally recognized terrorist group,” he said, referring to the visuals shared by the BLA. “They used images generated by artificial intelligence and old videos as well to glorify and promote the attack internationally.”
In response to a question, the military spokesperson said 33 terrorists had been killed during the rescue operation, while the number of passengers who had lost their lives after being shot by the militants had risen to 26 from the previous count of 21.
“Of the 26 killed, 18 were from the army and the FC [frontier corps], three were railway employees and the remaining five were civilians,” he said, adding that apart from them five FC soldiers were also killed during the attack.
Chaudhry said 354 hostages had been rescued, identified, contacted and treated. He said with 26 people killed, the total count of hostages who had been accounted for was 380. He also expressed fear of a potential rise in casualties due to 37 injured among the rescued passengers.
Asked if the large-scale BLA attack indicated an intelligence failure, the military spokesperson said Balochistan’s difficult terrain made intelligence gathering challenging, but agencies were working around the clock to track leads and prevent attacks.
This screengrab, taken from state run Pakistan Television’s live broadcast, shows Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, speaking during a press briefing on Balochistan train hijack, in Islamabad on March 14, 2025. (PTV World/Screengrab)
“I don’t agree with the term ‘intelligence failure’ because there are thousands of intelligence successes that people do not hear about, incidents that never happened because our intelligence detected and neutralized the threats,” he added.
Providing the train rescue details, he described the operation as “one of the most successful” conducted in a hostage situation and completed within a period of 36 hours.
“Not even a single casualty of hostages took place during the process,” he said, adding the passengers who were killed by the militants died shortly after they took over the train. “The whole operation was done with extreme expertise.”
This screengrab, taken from state run Pakistan Television’s live broadcast, shows Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, speaking during a press briefing with Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti (left) on Balochistan train hijack, in Islamabad on March 14, 2025. (PTV World/Screengrab)
Chaudhry said the armed forces executed the mission after a careful assessment of the situation, ensuring the safety of the hostages while eliminating the militants who had positioned suicide bombers near civilians to prolong the standoff.
The military spokesperson also reiterated that BLA militants were in contact with individuals inside Afghanistan, echoing Islamabad’s allegation that Afghan authorities have been backing anti-Pakistan groups, a charge the administration in Kabul denies.
Addressing the media, the Balochistan chief minister maintained India’s spy agencies and other hostile entities were waging an intelligence-driven war against Pakistan using Afghan soil.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by land area, has long been the site of a low-level insurgency, with separatist groups accusing the government of exploiting the province’s natural resources while leaving its people in poverty.
Government officials deny the allegation and say they are developing the province through multibillion-dollar projects, including those backed by China.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has met with Pakistani footballer Muhammad Riaz and handed him Rs2.5 million ($8,916) cheque and promised a government job for him in a federal department of his choice, Sharif’s office said on Friday.
Riaz, who represented Pakistan in the 2018 Asian Games, made headlines after a video of him selling jalebis, a popular street snack, went viral online, with netizens criticizing the government and sports bodies for ignoring the footballer.
Sports athletes in the subcontinent, including Pakistan, usually come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds before becoming household names overnight and attaining financial success.
In his meeting with the footballer, PM Sharif praised his courage and determination, and urged to continue playing football and an active role in promoting the game in the South Asian country.
“Pakistani youth are a valuable asset of the country,” Sharif’s office quoted him as saying. “Providing all kinds of facilities to Pakistani athletes and resources for them to compete at the international level is among the top priorities of the government.”
The prime minister instructed officials to provide Riaz with job in federal department of his choice.
“Steps should be taken to promote sports in the country,” he said. “A strategy should be formulated to provide sustainable employment opportunities to the athletes representing Pakistan at the international level and for their welfare.”
Riaz thanked the prime minister for the financial support and for taking steps for the welfare of players and the promotion of sports, according to Sharif’s office.
The plight of football in Pakistan is a tale of unfulfilled potential, administrative chaos and lack of investment. Despite a passionate fan base and a pool of talented players, the sport has suffered due to mismanagement by governing bodies, political interference and inadequate infrastructure.
The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has been marred by internal disputes and FIFA suspensions which have hindered the development of the game at all levels.
On Wednesday, the Pakistan Football League (PFL) also announced a cash prize of Rs1 million ($3,573) and a “prominent position” in the league for Riaz.
The PFL is a franchise league that says it is driven by a UK-based company with foreign investment solely committed to uplifting football from the grassroots to a professional level in Pakistan.
Blast in northwestern Pakistan mosque injures religious party leader, three others
Attacks have been escalating in Pakistan’s border regions with Afghanistan in recent months
Last month, a suicide bomber killed six worshippers during Friday prayers at an Islamic seminary
Updated 14 March 2025
Reuters
PESHAWAR: A blast tore through a mosque on Friday in northwestern Pakistan, police said, injuring a religious party leader and three others, including children.
Abdullah Nadeem, a local leader of the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) political party, was believed to be the target of the blast and had been hospitalized with serious injures, said Asif Bahadar, a district police chief in South Waziristan. He said two children were among the injured.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the explosion.
Attacks have been escalating in Pakistan’s border regions with Afghanistan in recent months.
Last month, a suicide bomber killed six worshippers during Friday prayers at an Islamic seminary in northwestern Pakistan, known as a historic training ground for the Afghan Taliban.
This week in southwestern Balochistan, separatist militants hijacked a train and held passengers hostage in a day-long standoff with security forces.
Pakistan has vowed to crack down on growing militancy and has said the militants are finding safe haven in neighboring Afghanistan, a charge the ruling Afghan Taliban deny.
