‘Support our heroes’: Pakistan to host international football match after eight years today
‘Support our heroes’: Pakistan to host international football match after eight years today/node/2392626/pakistan
‘Support our heroes’: Pakistan to host international football match after eight years today
Pakistani men’s football team poses for a picture before their match against Cambodia for a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification in Islamabad, Pakistan, on October 17, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan Football Federation)
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan men’s football team will take on Cambodia today, Tuesday, when the two sides meet for a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification match at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad in what will be first international football match hosted by the South Asian nation in eight years.
For fans in Pakistan, this is not just a World Cup qualification game but the homecoming of international football as the South Asian country last hosted Afghanistan in 2015 in Lahore. The national team played its last home World Cup qualifier in 2011 against Bangladesh.
Last week, Pakistan held Cambodia to a goalless match during the opening leg of the first-round qualifier in Phenom Penh. To advance to the second round, the national team needs to end a woeful record at the home leg today.
“We are very excited to host the FIFA WC 2026 Qualifier match against Cambodia, the home leg after a hiatus of 12 years and a competitive game after a gap of eight years,” Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Spokesperson Muhammad Yashal told Arab News.
“We request all the football fans to come to the stadium and support our heroes and show the world that we are a sport-loving nation.”
The winning side will make it to the second round where the likes of Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Jordan await in Group G. A total of 36 teams will be grouped into nine groups, four teams each, with the winners and runners-up then progressing through to the third round.
Last month, Pakistan’s football body announced the appointment of Stephen Constantine, an elite FIFA instructor since 2000, as the new head coach of the men’s national squad ahead of the World Cup qualification match. Constantine has earned respect in South Asia for taking India 176 to 96 in international rankings.
Pakistan are currently at 197th position with 847.67 points on the FIFA Men’s World Ranking, while Cambodia are at 177th spot.
Pakistan has faced many challenges in international football over the years, including multiple suspensions of the country’s domestic premier division in the last six years. The last one was in April 2021, when FIFA banned PFF due to “third-party interference” after a “hostile takeover” of the body’s headquarters in Lahore and the ousting of a FIFA representative by a rival group.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani superstar Fawad Khan has ventured into two new upcoming projects, a crime thriller series and a dark comedy film, renowned American magazine Variety reported this week.
Khan enjoys heartthrob status in both Pakistan and India and has played the lead in Bollywood hits “Khoobsurat” (2014) and “Kapoor & Sons” (2016). He also starred in “Ms. Marvel” (2022) and “The Legend of Maula Jatt” (2022), Pakistan’s biggest hit of all time.
“Behind the Scenes, a newsroom thriller, is being developed by producers Bilal Sami, Raza Namazi and Suri Gopalan of Film Lab++, in collaboration with Khan,” Variety reported on Tuesday, adding that the announcement was made at the Tasveer Film Market in Seattle.
The dark comedy will feature Mehreen Jabbar (Jackson Heights), Sarmad Khoosat (Joyland) and Mohammed Ali Naqvi (Insha’Allah Democracy) behind the camera, Variety said.
Khan’s second project is a crime thriller series for the production company Awedacious Originals. The series is based on Omar Shahid’s bestseller, “The Prisoner,” in which he will play one of two daring cops who embark on a covert mission to topple Karachi’s powerful mafia-like political party.
The drama has been created by Parisa Siddiqi and Ahmer Khan.
Khan was last seen as the lead of the hit Zindagi series “Barzakh,” which debuted at Series Mania in 2023.
Smith, late wickets rescue England in third Pakistan Test
England fight back to reduce Pakistan to 73-3 after being bowled out for 267
Thirteen wickets fell on day one of dry and spin-friendly pitch at Rawalpindi
Updated 8 min 30 sec ago
AFP
RAWALPINDI: England fought back to reduce Pakistan to 73-3 on the first day of the series-deciding third Test in Rawalpindi Thursday, after off-spinner Sajid Khan took six wickets.
Sajid finished with 6-128 and left-arm spinner Noman Ali took 3-88 after a rearguard 89 by wicketkeeper Jamie Smith enabled England to recover to 267 from a precarious 110-5 at lunch.
At the close, Pakistan captain Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel were both unbeaten on 16, with the home team trailing by 194 and the match in the balance.
On a dry and spin-friendly Rawalpindi pitch, 13 wickets fell on day one with all but one going to spin bowlers.
In the final session, England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir dismissed Abdullah Shafique for 14 and left-armer Jack Leach accounted for Saim Ayub who had made 19.
Gus Atkinson was the only fast bowler to take a wicket, dismissing Kamran Ghulam for three.
“The pitch helped us for the first 25 overs, but when the ball got softer it was difficult to spin the ball,” said Sajid, who took nine wickets in the second Test victory in Multan.
“Smith played a brilliant knock otherwise we could have got them out for under 200. We need a good first-innings lead to win this Test,” admitted Sajid.
England were in huge trouble at 118-6 after they lost captain Ben Stokes in the third over of the second session, caught by Sajid for 12.
But Smith, who reached his fifty off 94 balls, and Atkinson (39) added 105 for the seventh wicket to rescue their side.
Smith fell 11 runs short of his second Test century after enabling England to add 149 for their last four wickets.
Smith smashed six towering sixes and five fours in his 119-ball knock before he was caught off a miscued slog against spinner Zahid Mahmood in the last over before tea.
“I want to be someone who does well in all conditions, not just at home,” said Smith, who is playing his first Test series overseas.
“To come out here and to put in that performance is quite pleasing.”
After tea, Sajid removed Rehan Ahmed for nine to complete his third five-wicket haul before also dismissing Leach for 16.
The morning session was dominated by second Test heroes Sajid and Noman who bowled unchanged for 42 overs at the start of England’s innings.
After England won the toss and opted to bat, Pakistan opened with the spin duo, who benefited from the parched pitch offering turn and low bounce from the first ball.
It was only the fourth time in Test cricket history the new ball on the first morning had been taken by two spinners and the first time in Pakistan.
Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett raced to 56 in a confident start but England lost Crawley (29), Ollie Pope (three) and Joe Root (five) for just 24 runs to be 80-3.
Noman had Crawley caught off a miscued drive while Sajid removed Pope and Root leg before.
Duckett, who completed a half-century off 76 balls, was trapped lbw by Noman for 52 after hitting four fours and a six to leave England 98-4.
That became 98-5 five balls later when first Test triple centurion Harry Brook was bowled behind his legs by Sajid for five attempting a sweep.
Both teams included three spinners on a grassless pitch which the hosts dried with fans and heaters in the build-up.
Sajid and Noman shared all 20 wickets in Pakistan’s second Test win to level the series at 1-1 after England won the first by an innings, with both matches taking place in Multan.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Power Minister Sardar Awais Leghari on Thursday met his counterpart from Iran and Chinese energy officials to discuss cross-border collaboration and energy cooperation, the Power Division said in a statement.
Pakistan has suffered from a prolonged energy crisis that stems largely from a gap in the energy the country’s energy supplies and electricity demand.
Cash-strapped Pakistan lacks adequate resources to run its oil- and gas-powered plants and imports most of its energy needs. The country’s energy crisis has taken a toll on its economy as it struggles with a chronic balance of payments crisis, inflation and currency devaluation.
Leghari met his Iranian counterpart Abbas Ali Abadi on the sidelines of the Third Belt & Road Ministerial Conference held in Qingdao, China.
“Minister Awais Leghari underscored the importance of cross-border energy projects in boosting connectivity and trade,” the Power Division said. “Both sides discussed future collaboration, particularly focusing on the development of electricity projects in Gwadar, Balochistan.”
Both stressed the importance of strengthening energy cooperation in power plant operations and maintenance, the statement said, adding that they emphasized the need for regular coordination and communication.
Separately, Leghari held separate meetings with Yao Huan, vice president of Power China and Ni Zhen, the general manager of Energy China, in Qingdao.
“Recalling historic visit of Premier Li Qiang to Pakistan, Minister for Power conveyed Pakistan’s desire to modernize power dispatch and transmission systems, aimed at cutting lines and other losses,” the Power Division said.
In the meeting with Huan, both sides discussed establishing a state-of-the-art research and development center in Pakistan to facilitate the integration of advanced technologies and best practices into the country’s energy framework.
With Zhen, both representatives discussed enhancing the energy mix and advancing new technologies into power generation and dispatch systems, the Power Division said.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir on Thursday witnessed the Indus Shield regional aerial warfare exercises in Rawalpindi, the military’s media wing said, expressing satisfaction over the national air force’s combat readiness and modernization.
Indus Shield-2024 is the largest multinational regional exercise in which air forces from 24 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkiye and others are taking part. The exercise aims to foster interoperability and training through state-of-the-art facilities.
Pakistan frequently holds exercise drills with its regional allies, including those from the Middle East, to strengthen defense ties and bolster regional security.
“COAS expressed his satisfaction over the combat readiness of Pakistan Air Force and the progress made through various modernization and up-gradation programs,” the army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
In this handout photograph, taken and released by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on October 24, 2024, Pakistan Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir watches aerial exercise during the Indus Shield-2024 in Rawalpindi. (Photo courtesy: ISPR)
Munir was briefed about the PAF’s modernization efforts to stay abreast with security challenges, the ISPR said, adding that he also witnessed exercise operations with the static display of various technologies.
“COAS also interacted with the aircrew and appreciated the resolve of PAF personnel to safeguard the aerial frontiers of Pakistan,” the ISPR said. “He emphasized the critical role of inter-service collaboration, which he believes is essential for achieving operational success.”
In this handout photograph, taken and released by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on October 24, 2024, Pakistan Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir meets security personnel at the Indus Shield-2024 in Rawalpindi. (Photo courtesy: ISPR)
Air Chief Marshal Sidhu briefed Munir about the modernization and indigenization drive being undertaken by the PAF by inducting state-of-the-art weapons.
“While speaking at the occasion, the air chief highlighted that the ongoing exercise Indus Shield-2024 will go a long way in bolstering interoperability among the participating nations and will train their air & ground crews to face contemporary warfare challenges,” the military’s media wing concluded.
‘Fake news’ of Pakistan rape ignites real protest movement
Protests began this month after online posts alleged Lahore college student had been raped by staffer
Student protests broke out over allegations, with police arresting over 380 after clashes and unrest
Updated 24 October 2024
AFP
LAHORE, Pakistan: For Pakistani police, reports of a college campus rape that went viral this month are “fake news” fomenting unrest. For protesting students, the social media posts offer a rare public reckoning with sexual assault.
But as the clashing accounts have spilled from the Internet and onto the streets, both sides agree the case has ignited a tinderbox of legitimate fears.
“Girls who go to campuses definitely feel threatened,” 21-year-old Khadija Shabbir told AFP at a Monday protest in eastern Lahore city that was swiftly dismantled by authorities.
Senior officer Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi is charged with probing the case police insist has been conjured from unverifiable online rumors.
Students carry placards as they march during a demonstration to condemn the alleged rape of a female student in Lahore on October 16, 2024. (AFP)
But she admits it has struck a real chord on the issue of harassment in Pakistan, a patriarchal country where open discussion of abuse is taboo.
“All of us somewhere have experienced it,” she says. “It’s an extremely sensitive subject.”
It began earlier this month with a swirl of social media posts alleging a staff member had raped a woman in the basement of a Punjab College campus in Lahore.
When police and local media were unable to trace a victim, the local government and school administration dismissed the claims as a hoax.
But student protests broke out last Monday, escalating into unrest in Lahore and other cities later in the week that led to the arrests of at least 380 people over vandalism and arson.
Students throw stones toward police during clashes as they protest over an alleged on-campus rape in Punjab, in Rawalpindi on October 17, 2024. (AP)
Educational institutes were shut across Punjab province last Friday — when protests are generally staged after prayers — and political gatherings were banned for two days, although officials gave no reason.
As a result, about 26 million children were out of school as well as many more university and college students in the country’s most populous province.
But students, banned from officially organizing in unions for the past four decades, have continued to come out this week.
“I haven’t seen it grow into a movement like this or this sort of anger or reaction from them before,” said Fatima Razzaq, a member of the Aurat March women’s rights group.
The Punjab government has a women-only police emergency line where they report receiving 1,300 calls daily from women concerned about their safety.
But with 80 percent of women saying they have been harassed in public places, according to the UN, there is little trust that authorities take the matter seriously.
Razzaq said “a deep-rooted frustration” is surfacing as a result.
While protesters’ opinions vary about the veracity of the rape claim that has sparked the movement, many cite their own experience as more pivotal in their decision to turn out.
Students throw stones toward police during clashes as they protest over an alleged on-campus rape in Punjab, in Rawalpindi on October 17, 2024. (AP)
“A girl I know in my university committed suicide because she was being harassed,” student Amna Nazar told AFP.
“My professor keeps asking me out and calling me to his office,” said another University of the Punjab student, asking to remain anonymous. “This is something I do not want to do.”
On the campus where the crime is alleged to have happened, activists painted the walls with red hand prints and demands of “justice for the rape victim.” But it was quickly painted over.
“If we go and complain about an incident, we are told that nothing happened and we should stop talking about it,” said one female student at another university.
Lahore’s High Court has announced a new committee of judges to investigate campus sexual harassment, indicating authorities are conceding the protests have a point.
But the face-off between students and police is taking place amid a broader crackdown on dissent from political and ethnic activists across Pakistan.
Student social media pages and online chat groups created to mobilize protesters have disappeared and officials have pledged that those spreading misinformation will be prosecuted.
In this photograph taken on October 19, 2024, Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi, a Pakistani senior police officer, speaks during an interview with AFP at her office in Lahore. (AFP)
Naqvi — the police officer — said there was “less tendency of people to believe somebody in uniform” and that the confrontation had spiraled into the “state versus the students.”
Meanwhile, the women whose experiences with harassment have placed them at the center of the movement are finding themselves sidelined as the protests spill into violence often led by men.
As crowds of male students threw rocks at police in the city of Rawalpindi last week, officers returned fire with rubber bullets, and women fearing for their safety cowered away in side-streets.
Nevertheless, 19-year-old female student Inshai said: “We are standing up for our rights.”
