LAHORE, Apr 04 (APP):Pakistan’s opener Babar Azam has reclaimed the number-one batting ranking while wrist spinner Shadab Khan has vaulted into second position for the first time in his career in the latest ICC T20I Player Rankings, which were released on Wednesday following the conclusion of Pakistan versus Windies series in Karachi on Tuesday.
Babar, who captained Pakistan in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2012, was in stellar form when he scored 17, 97 not out and 51 as Pakistan consolidated their position at the top of the team rankings following a 3-0 series win. For this consistency Babar was adjudged player of the series and was also rewarded with a jump of two places, which has made him the highest-ranked batsman in the shortest format of the game for the second time in less than 10 weeks, said the information made available here by the international cricket council here.
Babar had first surged to the top on 28 January following the series against New Zealand, before Glenn Maxwell of Australia went top during the Australia-New Zealand-England T20I tri-series on February 7. New Zealand’s Colin Munro finished the series on February 24 as the number-one ranked batsman.
When Babar topped the batting rankings in January, he had become the second Pakistan batsman after Misbah-ul-Haq (2008-2009) to claim the coveted number-one position.
For his efforts in Karachi, Babar earned 95 points, which put him ahead of Munro and Maxwell. Babar now leads Munro by 80 points, while Maxwell is another two points behind.
Other players to make an upward movement following this series include Shoaib Malik (32nd, up by four places), Fakhar Zaman (50th, up by 15 places), Hussain Talat (has entered in 54th spot) and Chadwick Walton (98th, up by 11 places).
In the bowling table, Shadab Khan has rocketed 10 places to second following his five wickets in the series. Shadab, who played in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2016, collected 125 points from the just-concluded series, which has put him just 26 points behind fellow wrist spinner Rashid Khan of Afghanistan, who interestingly is just 14 days older than Shadab.
It is also interesting to point out that six of the seven top-ranked bowlers are wrist spinners (Rashid Khan, Shadab Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ish Sodhi, Samuel Badree and Imran Tahir), while sixth-ranked Michael Santner of New Zealand is a left-arm spinner.
Fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Hasan Ali are also on the charge in the latest rankings. Amir has lifted 15 places to 12th, while Hasan has jumped 10 places to a career-high 30th position.
Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz is the biggest mover in the latest rankings. The 24-year-old took four wickets in the series, which has helped him to rise 66 places to a career-high 53rd rank.
Other bowlers to improve their rankings include Kesrick Williams (57th, up by seven places), Faheem Ashraf (68th, up by 24 places) and Shoaib Malik (82nd, up by five places).
Glenn Maxwell is the number-one ranked all-rounder, while Shoaib Malik is Pakistan’s highest-ranked all-rounder in ninth position after moving up by two places. Windies’ Marlon Samuels has slipped one place to fifth.
Meanwhile, Pakistan have opened up a four-point advantage over second-ranked Australia following a 3-0 win. In contrast, the Windies have dropped from fifth to seven after losing four points.
The annual update of the T20I team rankings will now be carried out on May 1- all results from May 1 ,2014 to April 30, 2015 will be dropped from calculations, while matches played from May 1, 2015 to April 30, 2017 will be weighted at 50 per cent and matches played from May 1, 2017 will be weighted at 100 per cent.
Babar No 1 ranked batsman,Shadab 2nd ranked bowler
NA body on Parliamentary Affairs meets
ISLAMABAD, April 4 (APP):The Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs met on Wednesday under the Chairpersonship of Dr Shezra Mansab
Ali Khan Kharal, MNA to discuss the proposed agenda.
Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs briefed the Committee regarding the comprehensive report/implementation status of the previous recommendations of the Committee.
He informed that Ministry has compliance on the directives of the Committee and also sent letters to the concerned department for implementation on the directives of the Committee.
The Committee considered “The Elections (Amendment) Act, 2017” moved by Ms. Naeema Kishwer Khan, MNA. After discussion Committee deferred the said Bill.
The Representative from Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs also briefed the Committee about the functioning of Prime Minister’s Public Affairs and Grievances Wing.
It was informed that Prime Minister’s Public Affairs and Grievances Wing process complaints received regarding the
financial assistance sought by the poor/needy, affectees of natural disasters and terrorism, employment and services issues, matters related to police, property, land and family disputes, provision of basic amenities like infrastructure and utilities and
also deals with requests and recommendations referred by the parliamentarians.
Additional Secretary, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), briefed the Committee regarding the issue of delimitations
in respect to proposals / objections received from the general public and plans for their disposal. He informed that number of representations filed against preliminary delimitations-2018.
He said that ECP uploaded all representations and provided facility to check representations, map other relevant
information on website. After detailed deliberations Committee recommended that dates of hearing should be finalize and
uploaded on website as early as possible.
Chief Operating Officer, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) briefed the Committee about the suspension of flights / routes
to New York, USA. It was informed that due to incurrence of heavy losses on NYC routes since very long PIA is in the process
of restructuring its routes to minimize them and expand through capacity swapping on economically viable routes.
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works briefed the Committee regarding the detail of officers residing in Lodges,
Hostel and Family Suites in Islamabad.
After discussion Committee recommended that quality of services and maintenance should be improved at any cost in
Federal Lodges/Hostels, and Gulshan-e-Jinnah Complex, Islamabad.
MNA’s Malik Ihtebar Khan, Dr Nisar Ahmad Jatt, Rasheed Ahmad Khan, Ms. Shazia Mubashar, Ms. Shahida Rehmani,
Ms. Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattak, Sayed Essa Nori and Ms. Naeema Kishwer Khan attended the meeting.
The meeting was also attended by senior officers of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Law & Justice, Housing and
Works, ECP and PIA.
National Management College Lahore delegation calls on CJP
ISLAMABAD, Apr 4 (APP):A 60-member delegation comprising eight faculty members and 52 course participants of 108th National Management Course, National Management College, Lahore called on Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar here at the Supreme Court building on Wednesday as part of their inland study tour.
The chief justice gave the delegation an overview of the 1973 Constitution. He dilated upon the role, function and importance of each limb of the state and emphasized that the bureaucracy, being an implementing organ of the state, must gain adequate knowledge of administrative laws to dispense their duties independently, honesty and transparently in accordance with the law and the Constitution, said a press release.
The CJP said they must strive to gain full knowledge of the guidelines set by superior courts on administrative issues in their case laws to serve the purpose of justice.
He also briefed them on the judicial system, its functioning, role, dispensation of justice and constitutional jurisdiction of Supreme Court to provide relief to the people.
The chief justice also explained that the Supreme Court under constitutional scheme possesses special jurisdiction of the judicial review to examine certain acts of legislative and executive organs of the state on criterion of the Constitution.
He told the delegation about the fundamental rights enunciated in the Constitution and emphasized the need of their enforcement.
The CJP also cited many famous judgments of the Supreme Court on enforcement of fundamental rights. He expected the same from them being the part of the senior bureaucracy of the country to respect and enforce fundamental rights of the people and added that without good executive, good governance was not possible.
Later, he answered the questions of the participants in an interactive session and shared his experiences.
National School of Public Policy Rector Azmat Ali Ranjha thanked the CJP on his own behalf and on behalf of the participants.
The delegation presented a souvenir to the chief justice and extended thanks for sparing time for them. The CJP also reciprocated the gesture by presenting a memento on the occasion.
PAC sub-committee meets
ISLAMABAD, Apr 4 (APP):Sub Committee of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday has recommended initiating criminal cases against
those officials who are responsible for letter of credit in petroleum products from Pakistan State Oil (PSO).
The Committee meeting held under the Convenership of MNA Rana Afzal here at Parliament House. The Committee analyses
the Audit Paras of Ministry of energy from 1999-2009.
The Committee also directed to the Ministry of Energy to establish special task force for irregularities to settle long standing issues of twenty years.
The Audit authorities informed PAC that PSO provided high speed diesel worth rs158 million to Pakistan Motorways but letter
of credit was not cashed.
The committee said that seemingly it is internal mishandling and committee has directed to take action against those officials who were responsible in this inconsistency.
The Managing Director PSO told the committee that the concerned officers have been retired from service and action
against them is not therefore possible.
The Convener committee said this amount belongs to your institution and it is your duty to recover the looted money.
The committee pointing to Secretary Petroleum division Sikandar Sultan that these things may improve if he shows interest in
the matter.Thereupon the secretary ensured to establish task force
CM gives nod to use four loudspeakers in masajid
LAHORE, Apr 04 (APP):On the recommendations of Ulema, Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had given approval to increase the
number of loudspeakers from one to four for Azaan and Khutba purposes in masajid.
Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said that Ulema and Aima Karam can use four loudspeakers in masajid for Azaan
and Khutba.
He said increasing the number of loudspeakers in masajid was to provide ease in audio transmission of Khutba and Azaan.
He said that Punjab government respects the religious and national services of Ulema Karam.
Corruption of not a single penny proved against him: Nawaz
SAMMUNDRI, Apr 4 (APP):Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday said a number of fake cases had been established against him but corruption of not even a single penny had been proved.
Denouncing corruption, commission and kick-backs, he said the veracity of allegations levelled against him were being exposed in courts.
Nawaz Sharif was addressing a condolence reference on the occasion of the 5th death anniversary of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Chaudhary Muhammad Sharif, father of Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhary Muhammad Shahbaz Babar, here at the Municipal Football Stadium.
The PML-N supreme leader said the people were asking as to why a prime minister committed to development, progress and prosperity of the country was punished.
He said as prime minister he served the people with a commitment. He had eliminated the menace of terrorism and load-shedding, but he was expelled from the office for the salary, which he had not received from his son, he added.
Nawaz Sharif said the court proceedings should be telecast directly so that the people could themselves assess the locus standi of the cases. He had been facing the cases since 1962 when he was a 12-year-old school-going boy, he added.
He said he had directly come from Islamabad, where he had so far attended 50 court hearings. It was an insult to the millions of people who had voted him to power, he added.
He said the people of Faisalabad would also enjoy Metro Bus service while the residents of Sammundri would get Sui gas.
Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he said, had laid down a network of farm to market roads, besides establishing hospitals, schools, colleges and universities across the province. However, the country would make progress only when sanctity of the vote would be restored, he added.
He asked the people to rise against against injustice, whenever he would give a call for the purpose.
Nawaz Sharif also paid tribute to Chaudhary Muhammad Sharif, who, he said, had served the people of Sammundri and now Chaudhary Shahbaz Babar was serving them.
PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, Member of the National Assembly Hamza Shahbaz and Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhary Muhammad Shahbaz Babar also addressed the meeting.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Badar Chaudhary, Provincial Minister for Law Rana Sana Ullah Khan, MNA Mian Farooq, Chairman District Council Chaudhary Zahid Nazir and Mayor Faisalabad Razzaq Malik were also present.
Security forces kill two terrorists in Balochistan
RAWALPINDI, April 4 (APP):Security forces on Wednesday killed two terrorists in Pinsin Kaur, surrounding area of Dasht, district Turbat and Dera Bugti.
According to a statement issued here by Inter Services Public Relations, the terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire during an intelligence based operation (IBO), conducted by security forces in support of Khushhal Balochistan programme.
A Frontier Corps Balochistan soldier also embraced Shahadat.
Cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered. The IBO was carried out as part of ongoing operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.
UN urges France to provide essential services to migrants, asylum seekers
UNITED NATIONS, April 4 (APP)::A group of United Nations human rights experts have called on the French Government to urgently provide water and sanitation services as well as emergency shelters for migrants and asylum seekers living in “inhumane situation” in areas along the country’s northern coast.
According to estimates, over 1,250 migrants and asylum-seekers are living in Calais, Grande-Synthe, Tatinghem, Dieppe and other sites along the coast without adequate shelter and access to drinking water, toilets or washing facilities.
Migrants and asylum-seekers along the northern French coast, are facing an inhumane situation, with some living in tents without toilets and washing themselves in polluted rivers or lakes,” Leo Heller, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation, said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Some efforts have been made, but not enough,” he added.
Since last year, the Government has taken temporary steps to provide these services for some people, including contracting a local organization to provide water and shower facilities. It is also hosting up to 200 migrants at a sports centre in Grande-Synthe.
“I am concerned that for every step forward, two steps are taken back,” Heller said, noting that the situation is emblematic of the need for much more attention from national and international authorities on this issue.
The experts also underscored that in the absence of valid alternatives in the provision of adequate housing, including in the Calais area, dismantling the camps was not a long-term solution.
“We are concerned about increasingly regressive migration policies and the inhumane and substandard conditions suffered by migrants,” said Felipe Gonzalez Morales, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants.
“Migrants, regardless of their status, are entitled to human rights without discrimination, including access to adequate housing, education, healthcare, water and sanitation as well as access to justice and remedies. By depriving them of their rights or making access increasingly difficult, France is violating its international human rights obligations,” he added.
In addition, the experts also voiced concern over harassment and intimidation of volunteers and members of non-governmental organizations providing humanitarian aid to migrants and called on France to fulfil its obligations under international human rights law and promote the work of human rights defenders.
The UN rights expert making the call also included Michel Forst, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.
Govt doubles GDP, revenue growth, halves inflation: says Haroon
ISLAMABAD, Apr 04 (APP):Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Revenue and Federal Minister Senator Haroon Akhtar Khan said Wednesday the government had doubled the country’s GDP growth as well as the revenue collection and halved the inflation during the last five years.
“The economic indicators themselves are a proof of the gains we have achieved on these fronts and this has been made possible by the prudent and realistic economic policies of the government,” he said while talking to participants of the 108th National Management Course.
The participants visited the FBR House to have a strategic vision and understanding of the working of the board and its role in the fiscal policy.
He noted that Pakistan’s imports were increasing mainly because of buoyancy and strength of the economy and demand for foreign machinery for the burgeoning local industry.
“We have been able to arrest and reverse the declining trend in our exports which since July last year have rebounded, showing almost 12 per cent growth,” he said. However, he said a long-term solution to the country’s economic woes lay in strengthening the manufacturing base to achieve and ensure a sustainable 7 per cent growth rate in coming years.
“In my view, building the manufacturing base and making use of cheap labour available in Pakistan is the key to jump starting growth in the country,” he said.
The Minister pointed out that despite hardships, low inflation and cheap prices, particularly of petrol which was the cheapest in Pakistan throughout this region, the tax machinery had done exceedingly well by almost doubling the tax revenues during the last five years.
“In 2013 when the government took over, the tax revenue stood at 1946 and we are positive, we would be able to double this figure before the close of ongoing tax year,” he added.
He said that because of enhanced revenue, the government had been able to transfer an extra Rs 3000 billion to the provinces during the last five years, allowing the provincial governments greater fiscal space and freedom to launch and execute mega projects.
Meanwhile, Haroon Akhtar also chaired a meeting of the high-powered Implementation Committee-Tax Reforms Commission (TRC) at the FBR House to review and discuss various proposals and recommendations regarding taxation for the upcoming budget.
The Minister underlined that the government was aiming for a balanced and pro-growth budget focusing more on relief and incentives for the filers and disincentives for the non-filers with a view to broadening the tax base.
He said the government wanted to facilitate the business community by providing them a level-playing field to grow their businesses and contribute to revenue generation.
Boao Forum to boost economic integration in Asia: Experts
BEIJING, Apr 4 (APP):The 2018 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) is scheduled to be held in Boao on the southern island province of Hainan from April 8 to 11, which, experts believe, will further promote China’s opening up to the world and Asia’s future integration.
“2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China’s Opening Up. China’s further opening up to the world will definitely be the most important highlight of this year’s BFA,” Yang Xiyu, vice president of BFA Research Institute told People’s Daily on Wednesday.
According to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote speech during the opening ceremony of the BFA, in which he will expound on China’s achievements and experience in reform and opening up, as well as their significance for and influence on the world. Xi will also announce new measures to expand reform and opening up.
“I think the announcement of new measures means that China will deepen and strengthen its opening up to the world even more in the future. For the past 40 years, China’s opening up was more like a test, but now the new measures bring us an upgraded opening up policy, which will draw the attention of international community,” Yang added.
In addition to China’s opening up policy, this year’s forum, with the theme “An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity,” will also focus on Asia’s integration and China’s stance on building a community with a shared future for Asia and humanity.
According to People’s Daily, the BFA will launch three reports, which will focus on the integration of Asian economies, the emerging economy and Asia’s competitiveness respectively in an effort to promote Asian countries’ joint development.
Yang noted that the Asian economy is now facing challenges brought on by globalization. Along with these challenges, it is evident that the economic development of Asian countries requires further innovation. The BFA will provide a great chance to tackle such issues.
“China has been promoting regional integration and economic globalization. A prosperous Asia will provide the whole world with even more positive vibes and momentums,” said Wang Jun, Chief economist with Zhong Yuan Bank.