PCB shifts second Test between Pakistan and England from Karachi to Multan

Policemen stand guard outside the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Twenty20 cricket final match between Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars, in Lahore on March 18, 2023. (AFP/File)
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Updated 20 September 2024
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PCB shifts second Test between Pakistan and England from Karachi to Multan

  • The decision is taken due to the renovation of the cricket stadium in Karachi
  • England will be visiting Pakistan for three-match series between Oct. 7-28

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday announced a revised schedule of the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Test Championship between Pakistan and England, changing the venue of the second Test beginning on October 15 from Karachi to Multan due to the renovation of the National Bank Stadium.

England will be visiting Pakistan from October 7 to 28 and play three Tests, with the first and second match scheduled to be held in Multan between October 7 and 19 followed by the third Test in Rawalpindi from October 24 and 28.

“The second Test, which was originally planned at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi from Oct 15-19, will now be played at the Multan Cricket Stadium,” the PCB said in a statement. “The match has been shifted from Karachi to Multan as the National Bank Stadium is undergoing a major facelift for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025.”

The remaining two Tests will be played as originally planned in Multan and Rawalpindi, it said.

The PCB said it was thrilled to welcome the England men’s cricket team back to Pakistan.

“Despite minor adjustments, we are committed to supporting fans and ensuring a memorable tour,” it said. “We look forward to a fiercely competitive Test series and showcasing Pakistan’s renowned hospitality.”

The England cricket team last visited Pakistan in 2022-2023, marking their first tour in 17 years that consisted of seven Twenty20 International matches, followed by three-match Test series.

England won the Tests 3-0, achieving a historic clean sweep in Pakistan.

Prior to that, England’s last visit to Pakistan was in 2005. They were also scheduled to visit in 2021 but pulled out at the last minute due to security concerns after New Zealand canceled their tour.


Pakistan invites over 100 countries to maritime exercises from Feb. 7

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Pakistan invites over 100 countries to maritime exercises from Feb. 7

  • Pakistan Navy has conducted AMAN maritime exercise every two years since 2007 under the theme “Together For Peace”
  • This year’s edition will include the inaugural AMAN Dialogue for senior naval and other leaders from participating nations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s navy said on Tuesday it had invited over 100 countries for the AMAN maritime exercises that are held every two years involving ships, aircraft and special operation forces from Feb. 7-11, with the event including a dialogue for senior naval leaders for the first time. 
The Pakistan Navy has conducted the AMAN (peace) maritime exercise every two years since 2007 under the theme “Together For Peace.” This year’s special feature is the inaugural AMAN Dialogue themed “Secure Seas, Prosperous Future,” with a focus on security challenges in the Indian Ocean including strategic competition, piracy, narco-trafficking, non-state actors, resource exploitation, climate change, emerging technologies like AI and unmanned systems, the blue economy, and the need for global collaboration to ensure stability and prosperity.
“Since its inception, AMAN exercise participation has grown steadily, with the 8th edition in 2023 hosting 50 countries, the largest ever, and this year we are expecting even more, as over 100 countries have been invited to the 9th edition scheduled from February 7-11,” Commodore Ahmed Hussain, Director General Public Relations of Pakistan Navy, said in a written statement shared with reporters at a briefing on Tuesday. 
Hussain said the AMAN Dialogue would bring together chiefs of navies, coast guards and heads of defense forces of participating countries.
“Due to the growing global participation over the years, PN has initiated the AMAN Dialogue as an adjunct to the exercise and its inaugural session will be held in tandem with AMAN-25,” he said, adding that the aim of the dialogue was to provide a “dedicated forum” for senior leaders to discuss regional security and evolving challenges at sea.
“AMAN dialogue will include a summit of chiefs of navy and coast guards, a seminar encompassing academic activities and bilateral meetings between delegations,” he added.
“The main objectives are to promote peace and regional cooperation, enhance interoperability with regional and extra regional navies, thereby acting as a bridge between the regions, displaying united resolve against terrorism and crimes in the maritime domain.”
Other objectives of the dialogue include understanding maritime security issues and challenges confronting the region and their linkages with the economy.
Main activities during the exercise will include a maritime counter-terrorism demo by the Special Service Group (SSG) and Pak Marines, table top discussions on professional topics, and ship visits.
“An International Fleet Review is scheduled for February 11, 2025, alongside sea exercises to address collaborative security threats, with Special Operations Forces, Explosives Ordnance Disposal, and Marines teams participating in developing Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for multinational responses to asymmetric threats,” the press statement added.


Pakistan polio program says 71 cases reported in 2024

Updated 13 min 55 sec ago
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Pakistan polio program says 71 cases reported in 2024

  • Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world
  • Pakistan polio program is scheduled to hold first nationwide vaccination drive of 2025 from Feb. 3

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani health authorities on Tuesday confirmed one more polio case of 2024, which took last year’s nationwide count to 71.
Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this terrible disease.
The regional laboratory for polio eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad confirmed the wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in a male child in the Jacobabad district of the southern Sindh province. The case — the fifth one in Jacobabad last year — was reported on December 27, 2024, according to Pakistan polio program.
“Pakistan has been responding to an intense resurgence of WPV1, with 71 cases reported in 2024,” the polio program said in a statement. “Of these, 27 are from Balochistan, 21 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 21 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.”
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually but in 2018 the number dropped to eight cases. Six cases were reported in 2023 and only one in 2021.
The Pakistan polio program is scheduled to hold first nationwide vaccination drive of this year from Feb. 3 till Feb. 9.
“It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected,” it said.


Pakistan PM calls for strategy to equip youth for global job market

Updated 14 January 2025
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Pakistan PM calls for strategy to equip youth for global job market

  • Shehbaz Sharif says Pakistan’s future is linked to the development of the information technology sector
  • Government will soon launch a digital youth hub to provide information on employment to young people

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called for a comprehensive strategy to equip Pakistan’s youth with professional skills tailored to international job markets while chairing a meeting on youth employment and skill development in Islamabad.
Estimates suggest that approximately 64 percent of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 30, offering a significant opportunity to drive economic growth through a young workforce contributing to entrepreneurship, innovation and diversification.
However, this youth bulge also poses challenges, including high unemployment rates, limited access to quality education and vocational training and the risk of social unrest due to underutilized potential.
The government, striving to stabilize the economy, has actively sought both domestic and foreign investment while engaging friendly nations, particularly in the Gulf region, to provide employment opportunities for young Pakistanis, especially in the field of information technology.
“It is essential to equip the youth with professional skills to increase employment opportunities,” Sharif was quoted as saying in a statement released by his office after he chaired a meeting of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program.
“Pakistan’s future is linked to the development of the IT sector,” he continued while directing the formation of a strategy aligned with the demands of the markets in friendly countries to provide overseas employment to young Pakistanis.
The prime minister emphasized the government’s focus on promoting the private sector to address domestic unemployment.
“The government is actively working on a policy to promote the private sector and address unemployment in the country,” he said.
He also called for action against fraudulent and unlicensed companies offering overseas employment, noting the need for stricter regulation to protect workers.
During the meeting, Sharif was briefed on the upcoming launch of the Prime Minister Digital Youth Hub, a platform designed to provide information on employment and other services to young people.
He directed the platform be made user-friendly and available not only in English but also in Urdu and other regional languages.


Trump look-alike sings to sell pudding in Pakistan

Updated 14 January 2025
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Trump look-alike sings to sell pudding in Pakistan

  • Bagga, 53, sports distinctive blond quiff because of his albinism that makes him resemble Trump 
  • Residents of eastern Sahiwal say they take selfies with Bagga, tell people they met US president-elect

SAHIWAL, Pakistan, In a bustling market in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, a food vendor who locals say bears an uncanny resemblance to US President-elect Donald Trump gets more business — and attention — than others.

“We feel as if Trump has come here to sell kheer (pudding),” said Mohammad Yaseen, a local resident who prefers to buy the dessert from Saleem Bagga, the look-alike vendor who also sings to draw customers.

“When he sings to sell kheer, we come down to him,” Yaseen said.

Saleem Bagga, seen by some as a lookalike of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, sings songs while selling kheer, a traditional South Asian rice pudding, along a road in Sahiwal, Pakistan, on January 13, 2025. (REUTERS)

Bagga, 53, pushes his colorful wooden cart along the road delivering the milky pudding, a black jacket over his beige shalwar kameez tunic to keep out the winter cold.

A crowd gathers as Bagga, who sports a distinctive blond quiff because of his albinism, sings the lyrics to a Punjabi song: “Now you come down to me my love, don’t delay, my eyes are tired of waiting.”

Saleem Bagga, seen by some as a lookalike of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, poses for a selfie with a customer while selling kheer, a traditional South Asian rice pudding, along a road in Sahiwal, Pakistan on January 13, 2025. (REUTERS)

Local resident Imran Ashraf takes a selfie with Bagga. “His kheer is really delicious ... we talk to him and we take selfies with him and we tell our friends that we have taken these pictures with Trump,” Ashraf said.

Bagga is unfazed by the stream of attention and cameras that follow him throughout the market and even in his home neighborhood in the district of Sahiwal.

“My face resembles Donald Trump, that is why people take selfies with me...I feel very good,” he said, before extending an invitation.

“Donald Trump sahib (sir), you have won the election, now visit here and eat my kheer, you will really enjoy it,” he said.


Pakistan PM hopes new border crossing with Iran will boost legal trade, curb smuggling

Updated 14 January 2025
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Pakistan PM hopes new border crossing with Iran will boost legal trade, curb smuggling

  • Pakistan and Iran have tried to boost trade by setting up border markets, implementing barter system
  • International sanctions on Iran have hampered economic collaboration between the two countries

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday expressed hope a newly inaugurated border crossing between Pakistan and Iran in Panjur would encourage legal trade between the two neighboring states and help curb smuggling, which has long plagued the region.

Pakistan and Iran have intensified efforts in recent years to expand bilateral trade by establishing border markets and implementing barter trade mechanisms.

In April last year, Iran’s late President Ebrahim Raisi described the existing trade volume between the two countries as “not acceptable” during his visit to Pakistan. He said his government had agreed with Islamabad to boost bilateral trade to $10 billion within the foreseeable future.

In the absence of adequate formal trade, smuggling has become a significant issue along the porous 959-kilometer border, where local communities on both sides often rely on the illicit trade of goods, particularly Iranian fuel.

“A new crossing has been inaugurated at the Pakistan-Iran border in Panjgur, which will promote legal trade and help curb smuggling,” Sharif said during a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad, referring to the new opening this month in the Kohak-Cheedgi area of Panjgur. “I thank our brotherly country Iran for their full cooperation in this regard.”

International sanctions, particularly those imposed by the United States, have significantly hampered economic collaboration between the two countries. This is particularly evident in the shape of the stalled Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project. While Iran completed its section in 2011, Pakistan halted construction due to fears of US sanctions, stalling a project that could have alleviated Pakistan’s energy shortages.

According to the Institute for Strategic Studies, Research and Analysis, a local think tank in Islamabad, trade between the two countries has also suffered owing to the same reason.

Iran’s exports to Pakistan were approximately $1.4 billion in 2022, while Pakistan’s exports to Iran stood at $842.8 million.

The think tank also says Iran’s exports to Pakistan have grown at an annual rate of 13.5 percent over the past 24 years, whereas Pakistan’s exports to Iran have declined by up to 44 percent annually.

During Raisi’s visit, both sides signed memoranda of understanding and agreements covering fields such as trade, science, technology, agriculture, health and culture.

The visit was also seen as a step toward mending fences between the two nations, which had experienced strained ties following unprecedented tit-for-tat missile strikes earlier that year.