DUBAI: Pakistan face arch-rivals India in a Champions Trophy blockbuster on Sunday in front of a sell-out Dubai crowd knowing that another defeat will virtually end their title defense.
The neighbors only meet in multi-nation events because of political tensions and the match is taking place in Dubai after India refused to travel to tournament hosts Pakistan.
In front of what is expected to be a full house at the 25,000-capacity Dubai International Stadium, and with hundreds of millions more watching glued to their televisions, Pakistan are under pressure.
Mohammad Rizwan’s side were well beaten by New Zealand by 60 runs in the opening game of the ODI competition in Karachi and realistically need to beat favorites India to stay in the hunt for a semifinal spot in the eight-nation tournament.
New Zealand top Group A ahead of India — who beat Bangladesh on Thursday by six wickets — on a better run-rate. Pakistan are fourth and bottom of the group.
The top two teams from each of the two groups make the semifinals.
“If we want to win against the great teams of the world and be one of the great teams of the world we will have to bring consistency,” Pakistan batsman Salman Ali Agha said.
“We can’t play well in one game and bad in another.”
Pakistan chased down a record 353 against South Africa last week in a tri-nation tournament at home but in the final crashed to 242 all out in a defeat to New Zealand.
They suffered a big blow in the loss on Wednesday when their premier batsman Fakhar Zaman suffered a muscle injury. He has been ruled out of the tournament.
Imam-ul-Haq came in as replacement for a team that hammered India in the final of the previous Champions Trophy, in 2017.
That was India’s last defeat to Pakistan in an ODI match and Rohit Sharma’s men have since won five of the last six games against their greatest rivals, with one rained off.
They last met in a one-day game at the 2023 World Cup in Ahmedabad, with hosts India winning by seven wickets.
Another loss and an early exit for the hosts would take the gloss off the tournament, Pakistan’s first ICC event since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.
In contrast, India lived up to their favorites tag against Bangladesh, chasing down a tricky 229 with 21 balls to spare in Dubai.
In-form Shubman Gill hit an unbeaten 101 for his second successive ODI century after pace spearhead Mohammed Shami returned bowling figures of 5-53.
Victory for India would put them on the cusp of the last four.
“After winning there is no point in having a mindset,” a confident-looking Shami said in response to a question on facing Pakistan next.
“You should stay in the same frame (habit) when you win a match and when you perform well. I don’t think you need to think too much about the ICC tournament or any international match.”
Fellow pace bowler Harshit Rana claimed three wickets in his team’s win and exuded the same confidence.
“It’s great to perform ahead of the Pakistan match and hopefully I can take this momentum forward,” said Rana. “But the Pakistan match is just another game for us.”
Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have fought three wars since being carved out of the subcontinent’s partition in 1947 and that rivalry is often reflected on the cricket field.
Deteriorating political ties have meant the bitter rivals have not played a bilateral cricket series for over a decade.
India last visited Pakistan in 2008, for the Asia Cup.
Pakistan face India in Champions Trophy clash on Sunday with no room for error
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Pakistan face India in Champions Trophy clash on Sunday with no room for error
- The neighbors only meet in multi-nation events because of political tensions and the match is taking place in Dubai after India refused to travel to Pakistan
- Pakistan were well beaten by New Zealand by 60 runs in the opening game of the competition in Karachi and need to beat favorites India to stay in the hunt
Gunmen kills five commuters traveling to Karachi in Pakistan’s volatile southwest
- The incident happened near Pasni, Balochistan, where armed men offboarded Punjabi passengers on a highway
- No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, though BLA usually launches such attacks
QUETTA: At least five passengers belonging to Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province were forcibly offboarded from passenger buses heading to Karachi from Gwadar on Wednesday after gunmen checked their identity cards and killed them near Pakistan’s coastal town of Pasni, a senior government official confirmed.
This is not the first time commuters from Punjab have been targeted in Pakistan’s restive southwestern Balochistan province, which shares porous borders with Iran and Afghanistan and has experienced a low-scale insurgency by Baloch separatist groups against the Pakistani state.
Baloch nationalists have long accused the Pakistani government and the country’s most prosperous Punjab province of monopolizing profits from Balochistan’s abundant natural resources, saying it has led to their political marginalization and economic exploitation.
Pakistani administrations have denied these allegations, however, citing several development initiatives launched in the province to improve local living conditions.
“Armed men stopped buses at the coastal highway near Kalmat, Pasni, and forcibly removed six passengers after checking their ID cards,” Moheem Khan Gichki, Assistant Commissioner Pasni, told Arab News over the phone.
“Five Punjab-based travelers who were traveling to Karachi from Gwadar were killed in the attack and one sustained injuries,” he continued. “The attackers also set one trawler and one vehicle on fire before escaping from the area.”
The coastal town of Gwadar, located on the shore of the Arabian Sea, is the heart of Pakistan and China’s multibillion-dollar development project called the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
No group has claimed responsibility for the latest killings of the Punjab-based commuters, though suspicion is likely to fall on the outlawed Baloch separatist group Baloch Liberation Army, which has previously launched similar attacks on passenger buses on different highways of the volatile province.
In February, seven Punjab-based passengers were killed after the ethnic separatist group stopped Punjab-bound passenger buses in Barkhan district.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow in a statement issued by his office over the death of the commuters in the attack.
“Subversive elements are enemies of peace and development in Balochistan,” he said. “Cowardly attacks by such elements on innocent people clearly reflect their barbarity.”
Sharif also applauded the actions of the security forces and law enforcement agencies against anti-state groups while ordering an investigation into the incident to identify the perpetrators of the attack and bring them to justice.
Pakistan dismisses UN experts’ statement calling for release of Baloch activists
- UN experts raised concerns over ‘the used of excessive force’ against ‘peaceful protesters’ in Balochistan
- Pakistan calls them ‘active participants in a broader campaign of lawlessness and violence’ in response
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Wednesday dismissed a statement issued by United Nations experts demanding the release of Baloch activists arrested during a crackdown on protests in the southwestern Balochistan province, maintaining that the statement lacked “balance and proportionality.”
The arrests came days after the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) targeted a passenger train in the mountainous Bolan region on March 11, taking hundreds of hostages. The siege, which lasted for about 36 hours, ended after a military operation that killed 33 militants. The BLA attack also claimed the lives of over 30 civilians and security personnel and was one of the deadliest train assaults in the country’s history.
According to official statements, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), which has long campaigned for the rights of the ethnic Baloch community, initiated a protest seeking the recovery of the bodies of militants who targeted the passenger train. Subsequently, the BYC announced the arrest of its top leader, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, from a sit-in in Quetta where, according to the group, she and her colleagues were protesting with the bodies of three activists killed during clashes with the police.
The UN experts described these protests as “peaceful,” raising concern over “the use of excessive force” by the state against the protesters along with their subsequent disappearance.
“We have taken note of the press release issued by certain UN experts, which appears to be based on selective and unverified media reports,” the foreign office said in its statement. “It is imperative that public statements of this nature adhere to principles of objectivity, avoid selective criticism, reflect factual accuracy, and acknowledge the full context of the situation.”
“Regrettably, these comments lack balance and proportionality, downplaying civilian casualties inflicted by terrorist attacks while disregarding the crimes committed by miscreants who deliberately disrupt public services, obstruct freedom of movement, and create an atmosphere of insecurity,” it added.
The foreign office noted any assessment of these events should recognize that “these elements are not mere protesters but active participants in a broader campaign of lawlessness and violence.”
It maintained this was evident from the storming of the District Hospital in Quetta, where protesters “forcibly seized the bodies of terrorists” killed during the train hostage rescue operation.
“International human rights law unequivocally prohibits individuals, entities, or groups from weaponizing rights to infringe upon the rights and security of others,” the statement continued. “It also firmly upholds the right of sovereign States to take lawful and necessary action to maintain public order and ensure the safety of their citizens.”
Earlier, the UN experts had said they had been monitoring with concern reports of alleged arrests and enforced disappearances of Baloch activists over the past number of months along with the violent incidents in the past few days.
“Once again we see the use of excessive force as a first response to peaceful protests,” they noted. “We understand the deeply traumatic impact of the 11 March terrorist attack, and we express our deepest sympathy to the victims of this attack, yet a response which relies on arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and violent crackdowns on freedom of assembly cannot alleviate that trauma.”
The foreign office said Pakistan has an open and constructive dialogue with UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders and will continue its engagement based on principles of mutual respect, objectivity, and adherence to facts.
UN experts demand Pakistan release Baloch rights activists
- Police launched pre-dawn raid on Saturday to arrest the activists who had been protesting detention of peers
- On Sunday, protesters were charged with terrorism, sedition and murder, as per police charge sheet
GENEVA: More than a dozen United Nations experts demanded Wednesday that Pakistan immediately release detained Baloch rights defenders and halt its crackdown on peaceful protests.
Among those arrested in recent days was Mahrang Baloch, one of Pakistan’s most prominent human rights advocates, who has long campaigned for the Baloch ethnic group.
She and other activists took part in a sit-in protest on Friday outside the University of Balochistan in the provincial capital of Quetta.
They demanded the release of members of their support group, whom they allege had been detained by security agencies.
“We have been monitoring with growing concern reports of alleged arrests and enforced disappearances of Baloch activists over the past number of months,” the independent experts said in a statement.
Police launched a pre-dawn raid on Saturday, arresting Baloch and other activists, during which at least three protesters died. Both sides blamed each other for the deaths.
On Sunday, Baloch and other protesters were charged with terrorism, sedition and murder, according to the police charge sheet seen by AFP.
In their statement, the experts, including the UN special rapporteurs on the situation of human rights defenders, on minority issues and on counter-terrorism and human rights, decried “the use of excessive force as a first response to peaceful protests.”
Pakistan has been battling a separatist insurgency in Balochistan for decades, where militants target state forces and foreign nationals in the mineral-rich southwestern province bordering Afghanistan and Iran.
Police actions against Baloch activists have intensified after Baloch separatists earlier this month launched a dramatic train siege that officials said ended in around 60 deaths, half of whom were separatists behind the assault.
“We understand the deeply traumatic impact of the March 11 terrorist attack, and we express our deepest sympathy to the victims,” said the experts, who are mandated by the UN Human Rights Council but who do not speak on behalf of the United Nations itself.
“Yet a response which relies on arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and violent crackdowns on freedom of assembly cannot alleviate that trauma.”
In addition to Mahrang Baloch’s case, the experts highlighted the arrest on Monday of another woman human rights defender, Sammi Deen Baloch, along with others in front of the Karachi Press Club as they protested against the crackdown.
“We urge the Pakistani authorities to immediately release them and to refrain from abusing counter-terrorism or public safety measures against human rights defenders,” the experts said.
Pakistan’s foreign affairs ministry said it had “taken note of the press release issued by certain UN experts, which appears to be based on selective and unverified media reports.”
“Regrettably, these comments lack balance and proportionality, downplaying civilian casualties inflicted by terrorist attacks,” the foreign ministry statement added.
Pakistan’s finance chief announces plans to float Panda bonds in Chinese market this year
- Panda bonds are issued by foreign governments through Chinese financial markets
- Pakistan aims to raise about $200 million from Chinese investors by issuing these bonds
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Wednesday Pakistan plans to issue Panda bonds this year to leverage the Chinese capital market and strengthen its economy.
Panda bonds are issued by foreign governments, companies or institutions through China’s interbank bond market or stock exchanges, with approval from Chinese regulators. Investors typically include Chinese banks, insurance companies, asset managers and institutional investors looking for yuan-denominated, low-risk assets.
Pakistan’s plan to launch these bonds can help diversify its funding sources, reduce reliance on Western markets and boost foreign exchange reserves, especially by attracting investment from Chinese institutions.
The Pakistani finance chief, who is currently in China to attend the four-day Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2025, shared the administration’s plan to issue Panda bonds in an interview with CGTN English, a local news channel.
“I have been advocating and I am very keen that Pakistan, taking advantage of the second largest and the deepest capital market in the world, that we go for an inaugural Panda bond and we issue that,” Aurangzeb said.
“Because Pakistan has done previously many issues in US dollar and the Euro but we haven’t done that in the context of the Chinese capital market,” he added. “So, we are very hopeful that during this calendar year, we will do that.”
Aurangzeb announced in January the government wanted to raise about $200 million from Chinese investors through the issuance of the Panda bonds.
The development followed an upgrade in Pakistan’s sovereign rating by three major credit agencies, with the government aiming to get into the “single-B” category to return to global bond markets to raise funds.
The developments came after the country’s macroeconomic indicators considerably improved following a prolonged economic crisis that brought Pakistan to the verge of a sovereign debt default about two years ago, building massive inflationary pressure in the economy and forcing the government to raise interest rates above 20 percent.
Fitness enthusiasts challenge themselves with pre-iftar hikes in Pakistani capital
- Hikers set out hour before sunset, break fast on trails on Margalla Hills National Park
- Participants say pre-iftar hikes help boost fat burning, maintain weight in Ramadan
ISLAMABAD: Zainab Tahir struggled to catch her breath as the steep incline of the hiking trail at Islamabad’s picturesque Margalla Hills tested her endurance. Hiking can put one through physical exertion, especially when they do it on an empty stomach.
An hour before the sun sets and the call to prayer blares out from various mosques located in Pakistan’s capital city, a group of fitness enthusiasts take to the hiking trails in Margalla Hills National Park.
Islamabad Run With Us (IRU), which describes itself as Pakistan’s “pioneering running community,” is behind the pre-iftar hiking initiative.
“When you engage in pre-iftar [physical] activities during Ramadan, it gives you extra energy, an extra boost,” Qasim Naz, who founded IRU in 2016, told Arab News on hiking trail number three.
“And when someone joins in on an activity once or twice, they figure out it’s not that hard and they can sustain it comfortably.”
Naz stresses that staying active during the holy month is essential. The IRU organizes five activities a week, which include two runs and three hikes.
“Either we can maintain our weight, or if our goal is weight loss, we can achieve it by being in a calorie deficit while eating a healthy diet and exercising,” Naz explained.
Tahir, 22, meanwhile said she was committed to reaching the top of hiking trail before sunset. This was the second time she was hiking with IRU.
She agreed with Naz that group activities are “much easier” to sustain.
“I think it is important to go at your own pace and it’s so much easier with the group,” Tahir, a content creator, told Arab News.
“If you go alone, it’s kind of more difficult and you are like really slow but if you go with the group you can maintain that pace and I think it’s much easier that way.”
Mahwish Ashraf, a journalist associated with a foreign diplomatic mission in Islamabad, shared how she struggled the first time she went on a pre-iftar hike with IRU.
“The first time I was hiking, I returned from in between, I couldn’t complete it,” she admitted. “So, this is my second time hiking with the IRU, and gladly, I’m at the main point, the meeting point.”
Eraj Khan, a commercial specialist visiting from Australia to spend Ramadan with his family, said pre-iftar hikes give one “lots of energy.”
“For fat burning, it’s a great activity,” Khan said. “Especially because the last two hours of fasting are the hardest, most people feel really hungry. But so far, I’m loving it.”
As the clock continued to tick and evening settled in, the hikers began to pick up their pace. For Tahir, reaching the top of the trail before sunset was a victory in itself.
She had pushed past exhaustion, embraced the challenge and proved to herself that she was capable of more than she thought she could achieve.
And according to her, hiking with the group made all the difference.
“The energy of the group keeps you going,” she said. “Even when you feel like stopping, you see everyone else moving forward, and you push through.”
