MULTAN: The West Indies gained a slender nine-run lead over Pakistan Saturday as spinners dominated the opening day of the second Test in Multan, with Noman Ali achieving a hat trick for the home side.
Jomel Warrican took 4-43 and Gudakesh Motie 3-49 as Pakistan were bowled out for 154 at the close, replying to the West Indian first innings total of 163.
Left-armer Noman became the first Pakistan spinner to register a Test hat trick during his 6-41 as the West Indies were bowled out at the stroke of lunch in 41.1 overs, having won the toss and batted.
But the visitors hit back with a blitz of their own as 16 wickets fell to spinners — the most by that type of bowling on the opening day of a Test.
The previous record was 14 between England and South Africa at Leeds in 1907.
Only Mohammad Rizwan (49) and Saud Shakeel (32) batted with confidence for the home side, adding 68 for the fifth wicket before Pakistan slumped from 119-4 to 154 all out — losing the last six wickets for 35 runs.
Fast bowler Kemar Roach dismissed openers Muhammad Hurraira (nine) and Shan Masood (15), while Motie sent back Babar Azam (one) and Kamran Ghulam (16) to leave Pakistan at 51-4.
In the post-tea session, Shakeel was smartly caught in the deep by Roach — who hurt his groin but completed the catch — while Rizwan was stumped, both falling to Warrican.
Motie had Salman Agha for nine while the last man Kashif Ali was run out without scoring.
Earlier, the West Indies were left reeling at 7-38 with Sajid Khan 2-64 and Noman doing the damage.
It could have been worse for the tourists had Motie — who top scored with a career-best 55 — not added an invaluable 68 runs for the last wicket with Warrican, who scored 36 not out with two sixes.
Motie also added 41 for the ninth wicket with Roach (25) to delay the lunch break before Noman grabbed the last two wickets for his eighth five-wicket haul in an innings.
Pakistan employed the same spin-heavy tactics which earned them a 127-run win in the first Test — also in Multan — with the ball turning from the first over.
Noman came on to bowl as the first change, and trapped West Indian skipper Kraigg Brathwaite leg before for nine to spark a collapse which saw the tourists slump from 32-2 to 38-8 off just 14 deliveries.
Noman dismissed Justin Greaves for one, then Tevin Imlach and Kevin Sinclair off successive deliveries to become the fifth Pakistan bowler to grab a Test hat trick.
Fast bowlers Wasim Akram (two hat tricks against Sri Lanka in 1999), Abdul Razzaq (against Sri Lanka in 2000), Mohammad Sami (also against Sri Lanka, in 2002), and Naseem Shah (against Bangladesh in 2020) achieved the feat for Pakistan previously.
Off-spinner Sajid dismissed debutant Amir Jangoo and Alick Athanaze — both without scoring — while Abrar Ahmed accounted for Kavem Hodge for 21.
Debutant pacer Kashif had Mikyle Louis for four in his first over.
West Indies earn slender lead over Pakistan after Noman hat trick
https://arab.news/nd3zx
West Indies earn slender lead over Pakistan after Noman hat trick
- Jomel Warrican took 4-43, Gudakesh Motie 3-49 as Pakistan were bowled out for 154 at close
- Left-armer Noman became the first Pakistan spinner to register a Test hat trick during his 6-41
Pakistan threatens to deport Afghans in resettlement programs if cases not swiftly processed
- Tens of thousands of Afghans fled to neighboring Pakistan after Taliban took over in 2021 and were approved for resettlement in the US
- However, after President Donald Trump paused US refugee programslast month, around 20,000 Afghans are now in limbo in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan threatened to deport Afghan refugees awaiting relocation unless their cases are swiftly processed by host governments, officials said Monday.
Tens of thousands of Afghans fled to neighboring Pakistan after the Taliban took over in 2021 and were approved for resettlement in the US through a program that helps people at risk because of their work with the American government, media, aid agencies and rights groups. However, after President Donald Trump paused US refugee programs last month, around 20,000 Afghans are now in limbo in Pakistan.
The Trump administration also announced the US Refugee Admissions Program would be suspended from Jan. 27 for at least three months, fueling concerns amid Pakistani authorities.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided last week that the refugees would be deported back to Afghanistan unless their cases were processed quickly, according to two security officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to talk to the media on the record.
The two also said March 31 has been set as a deadline to expel Afghan refugees from the capital, Islamabad, and the nearby city of Rawalpindi in preparation for their deportation if they are not relocated to their host countries.
There was no immediate response from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
News about forced deportations has panicked many Afghan nationals who fear for their lives if sent back home.
“We appeal to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif not to be deported like this,” said Khalid Khan who has been waiting for relocation to the United States since 2023.
Khan said some Afghans prepared to leave Islamabad and move to other cities to avoid arrest. He also urged the host countries to expedite their cases.
Another Afghan refugee who lives in Islamabad with his family, and who refused to be identified because he is worried about the Taliban reprisals and arrest by Pakistan, urged Trump to revive the refugee program “in the name of humanity.”
Besides those living in Pakistan and the thousands awaiting travel to host countries, there are around 1.45 million Afghan nationals registered with UNHCR as refugees. Their stay has been extended until June.
Pakistan started a crackdown on foreigners who are in the country without proper documentation in November 2023. An estimated 800,000 Afghans have either gone back voluntarily or been deported since despite criticism from UN agencies, rights groups and the Taliban.
The two officials said the crackdown will continue in the coming months.
Last month, Amnesty International expressed its concern over “reports of arbitrary detention and harassment of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers by law enforcement agencies in Islamabad.”
Pakistan president to leave for Beijing today amid friction over security of Chinese interests
- The visit comes as Pakistan’s security challenges put a strain on its ties with China, with militants frequently attacking Chinese interests in Pakistan
- China has publicly criticized Pakistan over the attacks, while media reports have suggested that Beijing wants its own forces on the ground
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari will leave today, Tuesday, for Beijing on a five-day state visit to China, amid friction between the two allies over security of Chinese interests in Pakistan.
China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan that has pledged over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a part of the Belt and Road Initiative that is a massive China-led infrastructure project that aims to stretch around the globe.
The visit comes at a time when Pakistan’s security challenges have put a strain on Islamabad’s ties with China, with separatist and religiously motivated militants attacking Chinese interests and nationals in Pakistan in recent years. In October, a suicide blast killed two Chinese nationals in Karachi, while five Chinese workers were killed in a suicide bombing in northwest Pakistan in March.
Zardari is undertaking the visit from Feb. 4 till Feb. 8 on the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping and will hold meetings with his Chinese counterpart, Premier Li Qiang and other senior Chinese officials in Beijing, according to the Pakistani foreign office.
“The discussions will encompass the full spectrum of Pakistan-China relations, with a particular focus on economic and trade cooperation; counter-terrorism and security collaboration, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and future connectivity initiatives,” it said on Sunday.
The suicide bombing near the Karachi airport in Oct. was claimed by the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which has targeted Chinese interests and primarily operates in Balochistan where China is building a deep-sea port and last month opened an airport.
The BLA accuses China of plundering the province’s mineral resources with Pakistan’s help. Pakistani and Chinese authorities deny the allegation and say they are working for the uplift of the region.
In recent months, China has publicly criticized Pakistan over the attacks on its nationals and projects, while media reports have suggested that Beijing wants its own forces on the ground to protect its interests, a demand Islamabad has long resisted. Pakistan has assured China it will protect its nationals in the country from militant threats and has tightened security protocols for Chinese investors and nationals.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office said President Zardari’s visit reflects “deep commitment” of the two countries to strengthening their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, while the two sides would also exchange views on the unfolding global and regional geopolitical landscape, and bilateral cooperation at multilateral fora.
“It reaffirms mutual support on the issues of core interests, advance economic and trade cooperation including CPEC, and to highlight their joint commitment to regional peace, development and stability,” it added
Pakistan arrests main suspect behind 2023 Greek boat tragedy that killed over 250 nationals
- Around 262 Pakistanis drowned when overcrowded vessel sank off Greece coastal town of Pylos
- Illegal transactions amounting to $287,356 have been traced in Mohammad Iqbal’s bank account
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Monday arrested the main suspect behind a 2023 boat capsize off Greece, which claimed lives of over 250 Pakistanis, the agency said.
Hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned, when an overcrowded vessel traveling from Libya capsized and sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek coastal town of Pylos in June 2023. This disaster became one of the deadliest boat tragedies ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea.
It highlighted the perilous journeys many migrants undertake, often driven by economic hardship, as young individuals seek better financial opportunities by attempting dangerous crossings to Europe, prompting the Pakistani government to order “intensified” measures against human traffickers.
The FIA said the suspect, Mohammad Iqbal, who had been living in Libya since 2013, was arrested by FIA immigration officials upon arrival at the Lahore airport.
“The suspect was running a human trafficking network from Libya,” the FIA said in a statement. “The suspect illegally sent several Pakistani citizens to Europe from Libya via boats.”
The FIA said it had traced illegal transactions amounting to Rs80 million ($287,356) from Iqbal’s bank account, adding that he was booked in multiple cases registered with the FIA Lahore zone.
FIA Lahore Director Sarfraz Virk said a crackdown on human trafficking networks was ongoing, vowing to bring human traffickers to justice.
“Strict punishment will be meted out to human traffickers responsible for boat incidents,” he was quoted as saying by the FIA. “FIA teams are in constant contact with the affected families.”
Last month, the FIA issued red notices for 20 foreign-based human traffickers involved in the 2023 Greek boat tragedy. A red notice is a request from a member country of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to other member states to locate and arrest a person to extradite them to face criminal charges.
Several Pakistanis, in a bid to escape economic hardships at home, often undertake these illegal and dangerous journeys to enter Europe.
Last year, five Pakistani nationals died in a shipwreck off the southern Greek island of Gavdos on Dec. 14. More recently, a boat capsized near Morocco’s coast on Jan. 15 while carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, according to migrant rights group Walking Borders. Pakistan’s Foreign Office has confirmed 22 survivors of the incident.
Chinese nationals in Karachi withdraw harassment complaint after province pledges to investigate
- The men had approached a court saying their movement was being restricted by police on the pretext of security and it had affected their business
- The provincial government said it was investigating the complaint, but added any grievance should have been made to it through the Chinese embassy
KARACHI: Six Chinese nationals who run businesses in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi have withdrawn a harassment complaint against police after provincial authorities said they would investigate the claims, a defense lawyer said on Monday.
The men had approached a court in Karachi saying they had invested a significant amount of money in Pakistan’s largest city but their movement was being restricted by police on the pretext of security and it had affected their business.
The provincial government in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province said it was investigating the complaint, but added that any grievance should have been made to the government through the Chinese embassy instead of petitioning a court.
Rehman Mahsud, an attorney for the six men, told The Associated Press that his clients are withdrawing their petition as they are now “satisfied” with the assurances provided by senior government officials.
Under a government directive, all Chinese nationals are required to inform police before they travel so an escort can be arranged. Local authorities increased security following the deaths of two Chinese nationals in a bomb attack last year.
Pakistan hosts thousands of Chinese workers as part of Beijing’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which is building major infrastructure projects. Several Chinese companies have also been set up across the country.
Two Chinese nationals were killed in Karachi in October when a suicide bomber targeted their vehicle outside an airport. The Baloch Liberation Army, which is mainly active in the southwestern Balochistan province, claimed responsibility for the attack. The BLA accuses China of plundering the province’s mineral resources with Pakistan’s help.
Following the attack, China has called on Pakistan to protect Chinese workers due to a resurgence in militant violence.
Ex-PM Khan urges Pakistan army chief to reconsider policies to end political instability
- The development comes amid renewed political tensions between Imran Khan-led opposition and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government in Pakistan
- Pakistan’s army has ruled the country for nearly half of its history, though it has denied in recent years that it no longer interferes in the country’s politics
ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has written a letter to the chief of the country’s powerful army, General Asim Munir, and urged him to reconsider existing policies to end political instability in the country, Khan’s lawyer said on Monday.
The development comes amid renewed political tensions between Khan-led opposition and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government in Pakistan, following the breakdown of weeks-long talks between the two sides. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party accuses the government of causing the breakdown by failing to release political prisoners and establish judicial commissions to investigate violent protests of May 9, 2023, and Nov. 26, 2024. The government says Khan’s party walked away from the talks “unilaterally” before they had a chance to address the PTI’s demands.
Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary no-trust vote in 2022 has plunged Pakistan into a political crisis, particularly since he was jailed in August 2023 on corruption and other charges and remains behind bars. His PTI party and supporters have regularly held protests calling for his release, with many of the demonstrations turning violent.
Speaking to reporters in Rawalpindi, Khan’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry said the ex-premier has detailed six points in his letter, which he considers the reasons behind a growing divide between the country’s armed forces and the Pakistani people, and says that a change in current policies was the “need of the hour.”
“The first of all reasons, according to Imran Khan, is the rigging of Feb. 8, [2024] election,” he said. “This is the first point due to which a gulf was created between people and the institutions [armed forces].”
Pakistan held its general election on Feb. 8, 2024 that was marred by a mobile Internet shutdown and unusually delayed results. The polls threw up a hung National Assembly and were followed by weeks of protests by opposition parties over allegations of rigging and vote count fraud. The government and election authorities deny any systematic rigging of polls.
Khan last month called on his party’s members and supporters from all walks of life to mark Feb. 8 as a “Black Day” and hold protests across the country to protest alleged rigging of last year’s polls.
“Second, the judiciary in Pakistan has been controlled under the 26th constitutional amendment and the 26th constitutional amendment was brought to bulldoze justice system in the country,” Chaudhry said as he quoted Khan, saying the amendment was aimed at providing a cover to the “election fraud.”
The amendment empowered parliament to pick the country’s top judge among other changes.
The lawyer also said Khan’s letter mentioned among other things the recent amendments to the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) that he said were aimed at stifling dissent on social media, a crackdown on his party’s members and supporters, violation of various court orders, and alleged threats to judges and journalists that were widening the divide between the armed forces and the Pakistani people.
Khan fell out with Pakistan army’s top leaders in the lead-up to his ouster from the PM’s office, and has since led an unprecedented campaign of defiance against the all-powerful army, which has ruled the South Asian country for nearly half of its 75-year history, and even when not in power, it is considered the invisible guiding hand in politics. The army has in recent years said it no longer interferes in politics.
Tensions between Khan’s PTI and the army further heightened after Khan’s brief arrest on May 9, 2023, in a land graft case that sparked countrywide protests, with PTI supporters attacking and ransacking military installations in an unprecedented backlash against the army.
The military has called the day of the protests a “Black Day” and vowed to punish those involved. Since then, thousands of Khan’s supporters have been arrested and dozens of his top party members have defected after they faced increasing pressure from the military establishment to do so, according to his supporters. The army denies it.
“Policies need to be changed swiftly and they should be kept in accordance with the constitution and law, so that political instability in the country may end and the country may move toward stability,” Khan’s lawyer said.
“As long as these policies are not changed, it is difficult for the country to reach a point of stability.”
