Pakistan

Still searching for a sense of direction in the ICC Women’s World Cup, Pakistan will take on a rampant Australian side at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday, hoping to spark a turnaround against the tournament’s most complete outfit. Fatima Sana’s charges have endured a tough start to their campaign, slumping to heavy defeats against Bangladesh and India. Their batting has wavered, their bowling has lacked consistency, and their fielding has been short of international standard — a combination that has left them bottom of the eight-team table with little margin for error. But ahead of their clash with the defending champions, Pakistan’s senior batter Sidra Amin struck a note of quiet defiance. “I think tomorrow is a big game for us as a team,” she said at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday. “We are a good batting side, but as batters, we have to spend more time on the wicket so that we can execute our plans and assess the conditions really well.” Sidra, one of the few bright spots in Pakistan’s othe...

Pakistan on Tuesday sought regional countries’ cooperation to counter threats emerging from Afghanistan during the Moscow Format Consultations held in the Russian capital on Tuesday. Pakistan’s Special Representative to Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq addressed the moot, which was also attended by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The consultations, held at the level of special representatives and senior officials of Afghanistan, were attended by India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. For the first time, the Afghan delegation participated in the meeting as a member. Russia became the first country to recognise the Taliban government in July this year. A delegation from Belarus also attended the meeting as guests. “I spoke about the urgent need for collective regional efforts to effectively counter terrorism and dismantle all terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil,” Ambassador Sadiq told the 7th meeting of the Moscow Format. Sadiq said he also highligh...

In flood-prone regions of Bangladesh, solar-powered “floating schools” ensure children do not miss class when rising waters cut off roads and villages. One of them is 10-year-old Safikul Islam. Each morning, he waits on the edge of his flooded village in Bhangura, western Bangladesh, for the solar-powered classroom that sails right to his doorstep. His home lies deep in Chalan Beel, a sprawling 26-square-kilometre (10 sq miles) wetland where seasonal floods often cut off roads and submerge entire villages. Students get off the boat-school, built by an NGO named Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha, after the class, in Bhangura area of Pabna, Bangladesh, on September 25. — Reuters But for Islam and hundreds of other children, education floats. The initiative, launched in 2002 by architect Mohammed Rezwan using $500 of his scholarship money, has grown into a nationwide model run by the non-profit Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha (SSS). Now, more than 100 boats serve as schools, libraries, and clinics. The project has educa...

Imran, Bushra move for acquittal in Saudi Bulgari set case

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Deficit lowest in 10 years; provinces get higher water shares for Rabi season

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CM says she won't apologise for defending province's interests; PPP warns coalition may face turbulence

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PAC sub-committee directs ministry to submit a written response

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Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Tuesday said that on arrival in Islamabad from Malaysia, he had just spoken over the phone with former Senator Mushtaq through Pakistan’s Ambassador in Amman.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday that former Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) senator Mushtaq Ahmad, who was detained by Israel last week after it intercepted a flotilla of boats carrying aid for Gaza, had arrived at the Pakistan embassy in Amman, Jordan and was in “good health and high spirits”, adding that he would return on October 9. Ahmad led the Pakistani delegation on the 45-vessel Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which left Spain last month to break Israel’s blockade of aid to Gaza with activists and politicians, including Greta Thunberg, on board. However, as it approached Gaza, Israeli forces intercepted it, detaining the activists on board before deporting them. In a post on social media platform X, Dar said, “I am pleased to confirm that former senator Mushtaq has been released and is now safely with [the] Pakistan embassy in Amman. He is in good health and high spirits.” He said that the embassy stood ready to facilitate his return to Pakistan at his wish. “[I] am pleased to e...

The United States will supply Pakistan with advanced air-to-air missiles under a modified agreement between defence contractor Raytheon and the US Air Force, marking a renewed phase of defence cooperation between the two countries.

Four government officials, including two high school teachers and two workers from the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), were allegedly abducted from different localities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district, officials said on Tuesday. Per the police, the teachers were “abducted” from GHS Zindi Musa Khan in Bannu’s Mandati Naika Zyarat area, which falls within the limits of Hoid police station. “The first incident occurred within the limits of Hoid police station, which is under threat of militants,” District Police Officer (DPO) of Bannu Saleem Abbas Kulachi told Dawn.com. “In the past few months, the police station in Hoid has been attacked several times by militants.” DPO Kulachi added that unknown armed men had taken the school teachers to unidentified locations. Among the abductees were the headmaster of the school, who was a resident of Nekam Kaki, as well as a senior school teacher, who was a resident of Bannu, Bannu police spokesperson Kashif Nawaz told Dawn.com. Nawaz added that both teachers ...

Decision aimed at protecting public health