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Top two teams, Northern and Balochistan, face-off in third round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy
By Sohail Ali
LAHORE, Oct 08 (APP):Pakistan’s best first-class cricketers continue to ply their trade in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23 and the third round of the four-day tournament commences tomorrow, Sunday in Abbottabad, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi.
After two of the three matches in the first round produced results, all three matches in the second round ended in a draw. The draws, however, set up the third round nicely with the points difference between top-ranked Northern and second-placed Balochistan reduced to only three before their face-off at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium.
Balochistan staged an outstanding comeback to secure a draw after falling behind Central Punjab by 350 runs in the last round. It was a valiant second innings century from Imam-ul-Haq – who joined Balochistan after returning from County Cricket – and half-centuries from Imran Butt and Asad Shafiq that added five points to Balochistan’s tally, instead of a defeat.
Northern had begun the tournament with a dominating 10-wicket win. After Sindh had made 457 for eight, Umar Amin and Faizan Riaz scored solid centuries and Nauman Ali made 65 that lifted them to 417.
Their young all-rounder Mubasir Khan, who was player of the tournament in the last season, is the joint leading wicket-taker with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Arshad Iqbal with nine scalps. He took four wickets in an innings in the last match.
Central Punjab will rue the missed opportunity of claiming their first win of the tournament after taking a 350-run lead over Balochistan in the last round. Both of their matches proved to be stalemates and they will look to capitalise on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s poor form to earn 16 crucial win points.
Abdullah Shafique and Tayyab Tahir are the top run-getters in this edition with 329 and 302 runs at towering averages of 110 and 151. While Abdullah recorded his maiden double century and a half-century in the first round, Tayyab scored centuries in two consecutive innings, stretched over the two rounds.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa –languishing at the bottom of the points table – are the title defenders. They shared the trophy with Central Punjab in the 2020-21 edition and beat Northern in the final the previous season.
They have had a bad run in the two rounds and will hope to overturn their fortunes, starting tomorrow.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kamran Ghulam (249 at 62.25) and Waqar Ahmed (245 at 81.67) are third and fourth on the list of batters with most runs and fast bowler Arshad with nine wickets is the joint leading wicket-taker with Northern’s Mubasir.
In the third match of the round beginning from tomorrow, Southern Punjab and Sindh will play at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in front of High-Definition broadcast cameras that will beam the action live through PCB’s YouTube channel.
Southern Punjab suffered a heavy defeat by Northern in the first round and enter this match after drawing their previous round fixture against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Zain Abbas, the opening batter, is the highest run-getter for them with 195 – including a century – at an average of 48.75, while Hasan Ali, with six wickets at 34, has been their best bowler.
Sindh come into this match after playing two draws. They were able to post an imposing 457 for eight against Northern in the first innings of their previous round match against Northern thanks to a classy 158 from their captain Saud Shakeel.
Sindh’s middle-order comprises experienced Test batters Fawad Alam and Sarfaraz Ahmed and both have made their presence felt by stepping up when the team needed them to.
Fawad scored a brilliant century against Central Punjab in what was the two teams’ season opener and Sarfaraz has scored two half-centuries – his 148 runs have come at an average of 148 that underscore the struggle of the opposition bowlers to get him out in the first two rounds.
Pacers Asif Mehmood and Mir Hamza are the two leading wicket-takers for Sindh with seven and six wickets at an average of 34.29 and 18.83.
Rana Sana’s arrest warrants conspiracy to spread chaos: Marriyum
ISLAMABAD, Oct 08 (APP):Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Saturday that arrest warrants of Rana Sanaullah were issued in Lahore as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan was afraid of him.
In a tweet, she said that it was a conspiracy to spread chaos and anarchy in the country in order to divert attention from the corruption of “foreign agent, liar”, who was playing with national security and trying to hoodwink the people.
The minister said that on the orders of Imran Khan, preparations were being made to invade the federation.
MWL Secretary General seeks Ulema’s help to counter extremism, terrorism
ISLAMABAD, Oct 08 (APP): Muslim World League (MWL) Secretary General Dr Mohammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa has sought Ulema’s help to cope with extremism as it is portraying a negative image of Muslims across the world.
Addressing a grand reception, hosted in his honor by Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions Senator Muhammad Talha Mehmood here on Friday night, he said it was the responsibility of the religious scholars to disseminate the true teachings of Islam among the people in a bid to bring social reforms.
The MWL secretary general said there were certain elements fueling extremism in the Muslim societies to promote terrorist activities due to which the Muslim communities around the globe were facing various issues.
He stressed the need to enlighten the Muslim youth with the correct education of Islam and its proper understanding, saying that the Seerat-un-Nabi (Peace Be Upon Him) was one of best sources to approach it.
He said the youth should be educated on tolerance, love and forgiveness as these were the Sunnah of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
He said forgiveness was one of the great moral values of Islam which could help create a spirit of brotherhood in the society.
Quoting a verse from the Holy Quran, Al-Issa said, “We should invite the people towards the way of Allah Almighty and show people the right path.”
The MWL, in collaboration with the Ulema of Pakistan, would make efforts to spread the real message of Islam throughout the world, he added.
Al-Issa said the MWL was making all out efforts to help the flood victims in Pakistan and it would further provide support for their rehabilitation.
He also lauded the role of Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehood Ashrafi, Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Mufti Abdul Shakoor, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman and Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki for their outstanding services to Islam and contribution in promoting interfaith harmony.
Earlier, Senator Talha in his welcome address, paid rich tribute to the MWL secretary general for playing an important role in the propagation of Islam in the real sense and promotion of interfaith harmony worldwide.
Terming Saudi Arabia an all-weather friend of Pakistan, he said the Saudi government had always supported Pakistan in difficult times – during the 2005 earthquake and the 2010 floods.
During the recent floods in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia continued its tradition to provide support and humanitarian assistance, he said.
JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman said Pakistan highly valued the services of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Later, souvenirs were exchanged with the Saudi dignitaries.
President upholds dismissal from service, penalty of two Commissionerate Afghan Refugees officials
ISLAMABAD, Oct 8 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi has upheld the penalty of “dismissal from service” and a fine of Rs 500,000 each to the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) and Project Director (PD) of the Commissionerate Afghan Refugees, Peshawar after the charges of committing sexual harassment against two female colleagues were proved against them.
While rejecting the representation of the two accused officials against the decision of the Federal Ombudsman for Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace (FOSPAH), the president said that such individuals not only tarnished the image of their agency but their country as well.
In his decision, the president wrote that such incidents were among the major reasons for women feeling reluctant to work as their public space was limited and they were not safe as such individuals harassed them in the workplace, besides using their authority for coercion, President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release on Saturday.
He further said that it was the duty of the state to stamp down such incidents while also keeping in mind that only a few of the cases of sexual harassment were reported.
He also rejected the stance of the accused officials that the female employees had levelled the charges of sexual harassment against them due to previous enmity, grudge and animosity, saying that it was not convincing to believe that the female complainants could have filed such complaints against their male colleagues after putting their dignity and reputation at risk.
“No lady takes the risk of filing false complaints of sexual harassment against a male colleague in the organization as such a complaint in essence is detrimental to her own modesty, integrity and reputation”, he added.
As per details, two female officials of the Commissionerate Afghan Refugees, Peshawar had jointly filed a harassment complaint under section 8 of the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010 before FOSPAH alleging acts of sexual harassment by the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) and Project Director (PD) of the said department.
They had alleged that CFO had wanted one of them to come to her office alone so that he could take care of her in response to her cooperation.
She also narrated some instances of the past with brief mention of witnesses.
The other female employee had alleged that she was harassed sexually, mentally and also on sectarian basis by the PD.
She alleged that these powerful persons became revengeful if their illegal and immoral orders were not obeyed and had also terminated one of them from service on the pretext of non-availability of funds.
FOSPAH had granted the two officials the penalty of dismissal from service along with Rs 500,000 fine to each official.
The two accused had filed a representation against this decision of FOSPAH, which was rejected by the president after perusing the entire matter and the evidence available on record against the two officials.
The president, in his decision, observed that the two accused had not assailed the veracity of the stance of complainants by not cross-examining them and it strongly supported the charges of the complainants against the accused.
He further noted that the two ladies had not accused any other official of the organization except the CFO and PD with specific allegations and instances which were supported by evidence brought on record.
The president held that the FOSPAH, by taking into consideration the full account of the material on record, had come to the conclusion that the accused had been in dominant position to misuse their authority to exploit comparatively weaker and junior lady complainants and according imposed the major penalty, that was well supported by the evidence on record and legally justified.
He concluded that no interference was warranted in the original order of FOSPAH, which was well reasoned and passed after careful appraisal of evidence available on record.
Pakistan welcomes UNGA’s resolution over reconstruction efforts: PM
ISLAMABAD, Oct 8 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that Pakistan welcomed the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of a resolution, supporting its reconstruction efforts in the flood-affected areas.
On his Twitter handle, the prime minister stressed that the world should respond vigorously to the UN revised aid appeal and provide access to climate finance and debt relief to Pakistan.
These actions were critical at this stage, he added.
The UNGA has adopted by consensus a resolution entitled “Solidarity with and support for the Government and people of Pakistan, and strengthening of emergency relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and prevention in the wake of the recent devastating floods”.
The resolution was proposed by Pakistan and cosponsored by 151 countries – over two-thirds of UN membership – from all regions, to demonstrate solidarity with millions of people in Pakistan affected by the recent devastating floods.
PM pensively recollects disaster of Oct 8 earthquake
ISLAMABAD, Oct 8 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that October 8 was one of the darkest days in the nation’s history as it brought back the heart-wrenching memories of the earthquake of 2005.
On his Twitter handle, the prime minister said that the massive loss of life, the people suffered continued to sadden them on this day.
“May the departed souls rest in eternal peace! Ameen” the prime minister prayed for the people who lost in the gigantic quake that shook parts of the country on that unfortunate day.
On October 8, 2005, a magnitude of 7.6 earthquake adversely struck Azad Kashmir and different parts of Pakistan. More than 80,000 people were estimated to have perished in the natural calamity, while about 4 million others were left homeless, with hundreds of buildings left in rubble.
President urges for adaptation of best practices aimed at resilience building of nation
ISLAMABAD, Oct 8 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi has stressed that the observance of ‘National Resilience Day’ reminded them of the need to adopt best practices, implement desired policy actions and strategies aimed at resilience building of the nation.
“In view of our vulnerabilities, I would urge all related federal and provincial stakeholders to create synergies in action to ensure disaster risk reduction, and preparedness, besides mounting swift and prompt response mechanisms,” the president said in a message on the occasion of “National Resilience Day” being observed on Saturday.
The president said the policy actions in Pakistan should address key sectors including resilient and safe development of infrastructure, enhance “Disaster Preparedness” along with other areas, such as poverty alleviation, safer land use planning, building codes implementation, water resources management, sound agriculture practices, enhance forestation across Pakistan including coastal areas.
Most importantly, he said that they must take care of vulnerable segments of their society including women, children, elderly people and people with disabilities in all our interventions.
“The 8th day of every October is an occasion to express our solidarity and sympathy with all those families who suffered from natural calamities of unprecedented magnitude,” he added.
The president also urged the international community to provide all possible support to Pakistan to tackle the negative impacts of climate change phenomenon.
He said the observance of the day reminded them the devastating earthquake of 2005 that wreaked havoc in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Islamabad Capital Territory.
“We commemorate this occasion with a mission and commitment to advance national preparedness by improving and increasing the nation’s resilience to disasters,” he added.
The president said the climate change phenomenon had, yet again, hit the country very hard. Monsoon season, 2022 with over 190 percent more rainfall against past 30 years average across Pakistan and around 500 percent increased rainfall In Sindh and Balochistan provinces had caused massive inundation in Sindh and parts of Balochistan besides, hill torrents, flash floods in Punjab, KP, GB and AJ&K.
This climate calamity led to 1695 unfortunate deaths and almost 13,000 persons injured, more than 02 million houses have been damaged, besides causing severe damages to over four million acres of cropped area and critical infrastructure.
Over 33 million people of Pakistan were affected and millions of people were still in need of humanitarian relief, he added.
The president said Pakistan had negligible contribution to climate change while it had become a foremost victim of the phenomenon.
Despite being hit by multiple disasters of mega magnitude repeatedly since 2005, the people of Pakistan have exhibited courage, selflessness, spirit of sacrifice and resilience to withstand the testing times, he added.
The observance of this day as “National Resilience Day” is also an occasion for stock-taking and to reiterate our commitment to make greater efforts for preparing ourselves to face all such adversities.
“I have firm belief that the people of Pakistan, like in the past, would continue to help their brothers and sisters in flood affected areas through generous contributions,” the president said.
He also conveyed appreciation of the invaluable support and assistance provided by the international community, civil society and private philanthropy to augment the national response efforts during the ongoing floods disaster.
The 8th day of every October is an occasion to express our solidarity and sympathy with all those families who suffered from natural calamities of unprecedented magnitude.