ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 ( APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Friday said he was committed to ensure that every child of schoolgoing age gets quality education and serves the nation as a useful citizen.
NA session starts
ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (APP): The session of the National Assembly started here at the Parliament House with recitation of verses from the holy Quran at 10:35 am Friday. Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was in the chair.
Prime Minister to visit to Turkmenistan on Dec 12 and 13
ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (APP): Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will visit Turkmenistan on December 12 an 13 at the invitation of the President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
PM launches education reforms programme
ISLAMABAD Dec 11 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Friday launched his Educational Reforms Programme aimed at upgrading facilities in 422 schools and colleges in the Federal Capital.
NBP Exchange Rates
KARACHI, Dec 11 (APP): Treasury Management Division of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) on Friday issued the following exchange rates:
Foreign exchange rates
KARACHI, Dec 11 (APP): The Exchange Rates Committee of Financial Markets Association of Pakistan issued the following exchange rates bulletin here on Friday.
Replacing CM Balochistan in accordance with Murree agreement: Saad Rafique
ISLAMABAD, Dec 10 (APP): Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique on Thursday said that Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Malik Baloch will be replaced in accordance with Murree agreement.
PM launches education reforms programme
ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Friday launched his Educational Reforms Programme aimed at upgrading facilities in 422 schools
and colleges in the Federal Capital.
Creation of Asian Parliament inevitable to deal with major challenges: Rabbani
ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (APP): Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani on Friday said the initiative to set up Asian Parliament has become inevitable to collectively deal with major issues of region.
He made these remarks while addressing the 8th Plenary Session of Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA), in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which concluded today, according to a press release which received here.
Mian Raza Rabbani in his address, highlighted the significance of desired unity within the Asian States.
Rabbani criticized the West for maintaining double standards in dealing with Muslim and Asian countries.
Pakistani delegation led by Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani highlighted Pakistan’s point view on issues being faced by Asian region and gave a way forward to work for regional integration and overcome challenges by making collective efforts.
Raza Rabbani said that chaos and mayhem, being faced by many countries, is a result of forced regime changes by foreign state and non-state actors.
He also presided over the Executive Council Meeting of the APA, endorsed and recommended 18 Draft Resolutions of the three APA Standing Committees which were adopted at the closing of the Plenary Session.
The Chairman Senate also held a meeting with Samdech Vibol Sena Pheakdei SAY Chhum, President of the Senate of Kingdom of Cambodia and discussed means to enhance parliamentary relations between the two countries.
Both the leaders of the Upper House, agreed to translate the existing potential in all areas of mutual cooperation.
Besides, Mian Raza Rabbani also exchanged views with the Prime Minister of Kingdom of Cambodia Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen.
Both sides agreed to enhance parliamentary cooperation and collaboration in different fields for mutual benefits of the two countries.
The Chairman Senate stated that Pakistan places its bilateral relations with Cambodia in high esteem and desires to further strengthen cooperation at parliamentary, trade and economic levels.
He pointed out that Asia is passing through an important phase and is faced with common challenges.
APA, he added, is a forum which provides an opportunity to the parliamentarians to discuss and debate the mutual challenges.
He underscored the need to chalk out a viable strategy to counter these challenges and resolve issues through dialogues and discussions and make collective efforts for progress and prosperity of the people of Asia.
The Chairman is accompanied by Senator Nuzhat Sadiq, Senator Rubina Khalid and Senator Muhammad Ali Khan Saif.
Indo-Pak drawn in same group of ICC World Twenty20
KARACHI, Dec 11 (APP)- Arch-rival Pakistan and India are drawn in the same super ten group of next year’s ICC World Twenty20 being staged at vaious venues of India from March 8 to April 3, International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Friday.
A total of 58 tournament matches, including 35 men’s matches and 23 women’s matches, will be played in the 27-day tournament in Bengaluru, Chennai, Dharamsala, Kolkata, Mohali, Mumbai, Nagpur and New Delhi.
New Delhi and Mumbai will host the semi-finals on March 30 and 31 March, respectively, while Eden Gardens in Kolkata will be the venue of the April 3 finals.
The women’s semi-finals and final will be followed by the men’s knock-out matches. There is a reserve day for the finals.
Zimbabwe to face Hong Kong in tournament opener in Nagpur; Sri Lanka to launch title defence in Kolkata on 17 March; India-Pakistan to go head to head in Dharamsala on 19 March “India is a country where cricket is a religion and not many places can match the passion for the game like India “ said ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar at the inauguation ceremony.
ICC Chief Executive David Richardson: “The ICC World Twenty20 is an event which puts the world’s best cricketers in the shortest format of the game against each other in a nation versus nation contest.”
The men’s event will carry a total prize money of $5.6 million, which is an 86 per cent increase from the 2014 tournament, while the total prize money for the women’s event is $ 400,000, which is a 122 per cent increase from the Bangladesh event.
There have been five different winners of the men’s event while the England women’s team won the inaugural tournament at home in 2009 before Australia won three straight titles in the West Indies, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in 2010, 2012 and 2014, respectively.
According to the men’s event format, eight sides in two groups of four, will feature in the first round matches with the group winners joining eight sides in the Super 10 stage (two groups of five teams).
The top two sides from both the Super 10 Groups will then qualify for the semi-finals. In the women’s event, the 10 sides will be divided into two groups and the top two sides from each group will progress to the semi-finals.
The first round matches in the men’s event will take place in Dharamsala and Nagpur from 8-13 March and will feature Bangladesh, Netherlands, Ireland, debutant Oman (all in Group A), Zimbabwe, Scotland, Hong Kong and Afghanistan (all in Group B). In a double-header on the opening day on 8 March, Zimbabwe will face Hong Kong in the afternoon match, to be followed by the evening match between Scotland and Afghanistan. Both the matches will be played in Nagpur.
The group winners will join Australia, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and host India in the Super 10 stage, which will be played alongside the women’s event from 15-28 March.
Men’s defending champion Sri Lanka has been placed in Super 10 Group 1 along with South Africa, West Indies, England and the Group B winner. It will open its title defence against the Group B winner in Kolkata on 17 March, and play West Indies in Bengaluru on 20 March, England in New Delhi on 26 March and South Africa in New Delhi on 28 March.
Host India, which won the inaugural tournament in South Africa in 2007, is in Super 10 Group 2 along with 2009 winner Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and the Group A winner.
India will launch its campaign in Nagpur against New Zealand on 15 March, while it will go head to head with Pakistan in Dharamsala on 19 March. Its other matches will be against the Group A winner in Bengaluru on 23 March and Australia in Mohali on 27 March.
2009 champion Pakistan will take on the Group A winner in Kolkata on 16 March, before locking horns with traditional rival India in Dharamsala on 19 March. Its remaining two matches will be in Mohali against New Zealand and Australia on 22 and 25 March, respectively.
England, which won the 2010 tournament in the West Indies, takes on 2012 winner the West Indies in Mumbai on 16 March, followed by matches against South Africa (18 March in Mumbai), the Group B winner (23 March in New Delhi) and Sri Lanka (26 March in New Delhi).
After taking on England in its tournament opener, the West Indies will square off against Sri Lanka (20 March in Bengaluru), South Africa (25 March in Nagpur) and the Group B winner (27 March in Nagpur).
Meanwhile, in the women’s tournament, 2009 champion England is in Group B alongwith the West Indies, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and will start off against Bangladesh in Bengaluru on 17 March. Its other matches will be against India (22 March in Dharamsala), West Indies (24 March in Dharamsala) and Pakistan (27 March in Chennai).
Australia women, who will be bidding to win the title for the fourth straight time, is in Group A along with South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Ireland.
Their opening match will be against South Africa (18 March in Nagpur), followed by matches against New Zealand (21 March in Nagpur), Sri Lanka (24 March in New Delhi) and Ireland (24 March in New Delhi).
The ICC World Twenty20 trophy was also present at the ceremony before it leaves Mumbai for Scotland on 13 December, as part of the Nissan Trophy Tour. The trophy will return to New Delhi on 1 February after visiting 11 countries.
Schedule (Men’s) First round (group winners to progress to second round) Group A – Bangladesh, Netherlands, Ireland and Oman Group B – Zimbabwe, Scotland, Hong Kong and Afghanistan Second round groups:
Super 10 Group 1 – Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies, England and winner group B (Q1B) Super 10 Group 2 – India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and winner group A (Q1A)
Women’s:
Group A – Australia (A1), South Africa (A2), New Zealand (A3), Sri Lanka (A4) and Ireland (A5)
Group B – England (B1), West Indies (B2), India (B3), Pakistan (B4) and Bangladesh (B5)
Tournament schedule (M denotes men’s match; W denotes women’s match;
PM means afternoon match and Eve. means night match. Match timings to be confirmed in due course)
8 Mar – Zimbabwe v Hong Kong (PM), Nagpur; Scotland v Afghanistan (Eve.), Nagpur 9 Mar – Bangladesh v Netherlands (PM), Dharamsala; Ireland v Oman (Eve.), Dharamsala Thu, 10 Mar – Scotland v Zimbabwe (PM), Nagpur; Hong Kong v Afghanistan (Eve.)
11 Mar – Netherlands v Oman (PM), Dharamsala; Bangladesh v Ireland (Eve.), Dharamsala 12 Mar – Zimbabwe v Afghanistan (PM), Nagpur; Scotland v Hong Kong (Eve.), Nagpur 13 Mar – Netherlands v Ireland (PM), Dharamsala; Bangladesh v Oman (Eve.), Dharamsala 15 Mar – India v Bangladesh (W) (PM), Bengaluru; New Zealand v Sri Lanka (W) (Eve.), New Delhi; New Zealand v India (M) (Eve), Nagpur 16 Mar – West Indies v England (M) (PM), Mumbai; Pakistan v Q1A (M) (Eve.), Kolkata; West Indies v Pakistan (W) (Eve.), Chennai 17 Mar – England v Bangladesh (W) (PM), Bengaluru; Sri Lanka v Q1B (M)
(Eve.), Kolkata
18 Mar – New Zealand v Ireland (W) (PM), Mohali; Australia v New Zealand (M) (PM), Dharamsala; South Africa v England (M) (Eve.), Mumbai; Australia v South Africa (W) (Eve.), Nagpur 19 Mar – India v Pakistan (W) (PM), New Delhi; India v Pakistan (M)
(Eve.), Dharamsala
20 Mar – South Africa v Q1B (M) (PM), Mumbai; West Indies v Bangladesh (W) (PM), Chennai; Sri Lanka v Ireland (W) (Eve.), Mohali; Sri Lanka v West Indies (M) (Eve.), Bengaluru Mon, 21 Mar – Australia v New Zealand (W) (PM), Nagpur; Australia v Q1A (M) (Eve.), Bengaluru 22 Mar – England v India (W) (PM), Dharamsala; New Zealand v Pakistan (M) (Eve.), Mohali 23 Mar – England v Q1B (M) (PM), New Delhi; India v Q1A (M), (Eve.), Bengaluru; South Africa v Ireland (W) (Eve.), Chennai 24 Mar – England v West Indies (W) (Eve.), Dharamsala; Australia v Sri Lanka (W) (PM), New Delhi; Pakistan v Bangladesh (W) (Eve.), New Delhi 25 Mar – Pakistan v Australia (M) (PM), Mohali; South Africa v West Indies (M), (Eve.), Nagpur 26 Mar – Australia v Ireland (W) (PM), New Delhi; Q1A v New Zealand (M) (PM), Kolkata; England v Sri Lanka (M) (Eve.), New Delhi; South Africa v New Zealand (W) (Eve.), Bengaluru 27 Mar – West Indies v India (W) (PM), Mohali; India v Australia (M) (Eve.), Mohali; England v Pakistan (W) (Eve.), Chennai; Q1B v West Indies (M) (PM), Nagpur;
28 Mar – South Africa v Sri Lanka (W) (PM), Bengaluru; South Africa v
Sri Lanka (M) (Eve.), New Delhi
Tue, 29 Mar – Rest/travel day
30 Mar – Women’s semi-final (2nd group A v 1st group B) (PM), New Delhi; men’s semi-final (Super 10 Group 1 2nd v Super 10 Group 2 1st)
(Eve.), New Delhi
31 Mar – Women’s semi-final (1st group A v 2nd group B) (PM), Mumbai;
men’s semi-final (Super 10 Group 1 2nd v Super 10 Group 2 1st) (Eve.),
Mumbai
1 Apr – Rest/travel day
2 Apr – Rest/travel day
3 April – Women’s final (PM), Kolkata; men’s final (Eve.), Kolkata