Pakistan News

Politicians and rulers, whether of the more democratic dispensation or otherwise, have a habit of going out of favour with the status quo. When that happens, every attempt is made to malign their character and delegitimise their narrative in the eyes of the public, whether by highlighting their misdeeds or by completely wiping them from the mainstream narrative. The act of erasing or tainting the memory of a political opponent has been happening for eons. Damnatio memoriae , a latin phenomenon that literally translates to ‘condemnation of memory’, refers to a loosely defined group of processes, which involve destruction, erasure, and silence. These processes are also understood as “memory sanctions”. For the last several months, PTI leaders, especially former prime minister Imran Khan, have found themselves out of favour with the powers that be. That the former premier has chosen to up the ante and indirectly, and at times directly, accuse the military establishment for his political...

Ever since venture capital (VC) started flowing into Pakistan, the local ecosystem has seen polarising debates on whether the companies being built are sustainable, given their generally questionable unit economics. From unbelievably high losses to calls for investigating lax corporate governance mechanisms, the space receives a high dose of flak, both fair and unfair, that may be disproportionate to the underlying scale. But there’s another sector that’s going through a somewhat similar situation that has avoided scrutiny for the most part — exceptions include a few reports in the press here and there. Pakistan’s microfinance banking has been undergoing its share of troubles in the last few years with a scale of losses that could, to an extent, rival VC-backed businesses and their capital revenue issues. According to the State Bank’s Financial Stability Report, microfinance banks cumulatively posted a red bottom line for the fourth year straight. The post-tax loss of the sector re...

The recent agreement on the financial package from the International Monetary Fund brings a sigh of relief for Pakistan’s economy. However, it is vital that we view this as an opportunity to strive for self-reliance and long-term stability. To achieve economic transformation, digital inclusion must become a top priority. With over 53 per cent broadband penetration, Pakistan currently has 127 million broadband subscribers, out of which 124m use the internet on mobile phones. Sadly, nearly half of Pakistan’s population is still offline, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive measures to bring at least an additional 50m Pakistanis online within the next two years. By enabling our citizens to access vital services such as education, healthcare, and finance, we can foster a prosperous future for all. To facilitate the transition toward digital inclusion, policymakers may consider specific measures. Currently, Pakistan is one of the highest-taxed telecom markets in the world, wi...

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Carla Qualtrough, recently named Sports Minister in Canada, voiced her support for the national team’s fight for equal pay and support during a visit to a training camp in Melbourne before its make-or-break Women’s World Cup match Monday against Australia. “You’re never going to hear me say anything but `pay equity equals pay for work of equal value,”’ Qualtrough said. “Our women deserve equal opportunities as our men, and we’re gonna make sure they have it.” Canada must avoid a loss to co-host Australia in the last group-stage game to guarantee it advances to the Women’s World Cup knockout round. The visit by Qualtrough, who took up her post Wednesday, follows the team releasing a social media statement Friday announcing an interim agreement reached with Canada Soccer. The deal covers the players’ compensation for 2023, including Women’s World Cup prize money. “The women are desperate to have equal treatment,” Qualtrough said. “I’m confident that we’re ...

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Sophie Roman Haug’s hat trick kick-started Norway’s dormant offense and sparked a 6-0 blowout win over the Philippines on Sunday that moved the Norwegians into to the knockout stage of the Women’s World Cup. The Philippines’ debut run in the tournament came to an end as Norway scored early and often, netting three goals in the first 31 minutes. Norway’s spot in the round of 16 was secured when Switzerland and New Zealand simultaneously played to a 0-0 draw and the Norwegians. Norway and New Zealand were tied in Group A but Norway advanced on goal differential. New Zealand became the first host country to be eliminated in the group stage in tournament history. Before the game, Norway had not scored in three consecutive Women’s World Cup matches dating to the quarterfinals of the 2019 tournament. Follow the FIFA Women’s World Cup on Sportsnet.ca The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup heads to Australia and New Zealand and Sportsnet.ca will have full cover...

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Morocco made history in multiple ways during its 1-0 victory over South Korea in the Women’s World Cup on Sunday. Defender Nouhaila Benzina became the first player to wear a Hijab in a World Cup game at the senior level, and her teammate Ibtissam Jraidi scored the Atlas Lionesses’ first World Cup goal. The Moroccans scored in the 6th minute and were able to make it stand up for the remainder of the match. After a lopsided 6-0 loss against Germany, the victory keeps No. 72-ranked Morocco in contention to advance to the knockout stage of the tournament. KEY MOMENTS Morocco scored its first ever World Cup goal in the sixth minute when Ibtissam Jraidi met a cross from Hanane Ait El Haj with a glancing header toward the far post. South Korea had the majority of the possession but was unable to translate the advantage into many scoring opportunities. Its best chance at equalizing came in the 87th minute when 16-year-old New Jersey resident Casey Pha...

For the second straight Touchdown Atlantic game, the Toronto Argonauts have defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders, this time 31-13, in front of another sold-out Nova Scotia crowd. The Argos, 6-0 for the first time since 1935, got it going early in front of more than 11,000 fans at Huskies Stadium in the heart of Halifax, with Boris Bede kicking it off on a field goal from 35 yards just over a minute into the game, then running back Javon Leake going for 71 yards off an Adam Korsakpunt punt for a touchdown. Bede added the convert and another field goal to make it 13-0 over the Riders to end the first quarter. Toronto kept that momentum going in the second quarter, with wide receiver Dejon Brissett making a two-point conversion and quarterback Chad Kelly passing it to Brissett for another touchdown to make it 21-0 before the five-minute mark. Argos defensive back Daniel Robertson intercepted a Mason Fine pass at 6:38 into the quarter. The Riders had a chance to earn some points late ...

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani on Sunday “dropped” a bill aimed at curbing violent extremism after fierce opposition from lawmakers, including those from the ruling coalition. According to the agenda for today’s session, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah was supposed to table the bill titled ‘The Prevention of Violent Extremism Bill 2023’. However, many parliamentarians, including those from the ruling coalition, opposed the bill. The bill, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com , said that those calling on others to show or use force, propagating and publishing extremist material, using all kinds of media for radicalisation or manipulating people’s beliefs, or provoking sectarian strife would be guilty of violent extremism. PTI’s Mohammad Humayun Mohmandsaid that he did not know why the bill was being tabled on Sunday. “Is there an emergency in Pakistan that we come and do this on Sundays, on public holidays?” He went on to say that if such legislation was passed by following t...

Italy made an “improvised and atrocious” decision when it joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) four years ago as it did little to boost exports, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said in an interview published on Sunday. Italy signed up to the BRI under a previous government , becoming the only major Western country to have taken such a step. Crosetto is part of an administration that is considering how to break free of the agreement. The BRI scheme envisions rebuilding the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond with large infrastructure spending. Critics see it as a tool for China to spread its geopolitical and economic influence. “The decision to join the (new) Silk Road was an improvised and atrocious act” that multiplied China’s exports to Italy but did not have the same effect on Italian exports to China, Crosetto told the Corriere della Sera newspaper. “The issue today is: how to walk back (from the BRI) without damaging relations (with Be...

Opposition leader in the National Assembly (NA) Raja Riaz appears confident that he and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will reach a consensus on selecting a name for the caretaker prime minister. The tenure of the NA is set to expire on August 12 and meetings are under way between the members of the government on the details of an interim set-up. If the government is dissolved before the NA completes its term on August 12, elections would be held within the next 90 days. If the assembly completes its tenure, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is bound to hold polls within the next 60 days. However, the legally required consultations that must take place between the prime minister and opposition leader over candidates for the caretaker government have yet to begin. Earlier this month, Riaz said that a meeting between him and PM Shehbaz was expected around August 1. In an interview with Dawn News ’ programme ‘Doosra Rukh’, which will air at 7pm tonight, Riaz said: “I have a v...

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Justin Gaethje knocked out Dustin Poirier with a head kick one minute into the second round to win the main event lightweight bout at UFC 291 on Saturday night. The third-ranked Gaethje (26-4) celebrated his victory by climbing to the top of the Octagon fence and doing a backflip off it. His perfectly timed headshot helped him avenge a loss to Poirier in 2018 when he suffered a fourth-round technical knockout via strikes. “This chance at redemption was amazing,” Gaethje said. “It drove me to work harder to be ready.” It was Gaethje’s 20th win by knockout or TKO and his seventh victory in his last nine fights. He also scored his first knockout win since UFC 249 in 2020. “I was surprised by myself and how good I fought,” Gaethje said. Second-ranked Poirier (29-8) entered the rematch between the two former interim lightweight champions as a minus-152 favorite according to FanDuel. He matched Gaethje blow for blow in the first round – earning a 10-9 advantage on ...

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The fight itself didn’t match the hype, but Terence Crawford’s performance exceeded it. He knocked down Errol Spence Jr. three times Saturday night before finally ending the fight at 2:32 of the ninth round  on a technical knockout  to cement himself as one of the greatest welterweights in history. The fight, the most-anticipated boxing match in several years, made Crawford the first undisputed champion in the 147-pound division in the four-belt era that began in 2004. Crawford (40-0, 31 knockouts) already owned the WBO belt, and took the WBC, WBA and IBF titles from Spence (28-1). Crawford also ran his KO streak to 11 matches, the second-longest active stretch. Crawford, 35, has won titles at super lightweight and lightweight in addition to welterweight, capturing the latter after moving up in 2018. The Omaha, Nebraska, fighter became the first male boxer to become the undisputed champion in two divisions in the four-belt era. “I only dreamed of being a ...

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will be arriving in Pakistan on Sunday on a three-day visit, during which he will attend a ceremony planned to mark the 10 years of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO). The Chinese vice premier will be in Pakistan from July 30 to August 1 at the federal government’s invitation to attend the ceremony celebrating a decade of the CPEC as the chief guest, the FO statement said. It added that Lifeng would also hold meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Dr Arif Alvi during the visit. The FO acknowledged Lifeng’s “prominent role” in China’s international economic relations and implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, of which CPEC is a flagship project. As the chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission from 2017 to 2023, he was “instrumental in the planning and execution of multiple CPEC projects in Pakistan”, the FO said. It ad...

MELBOURNE, Australia — Kenneth Heiner-Moller’s loyalties will be severely tested if his native Denmark ends up meeting Canada in the round of 16 at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Heiner-Moller is technical director of the Danish Football Association (DBU). And he coached Canada at the 1999 tournament in France. “Ever since the (tournament) draw I’ve been looking at that (potential matchup) and saying ‘Whoa. That’s going to be a tough one,”’ Heiner-Moller told The Canadian Press from his home in Denmark. Both Canada and Denmark still have work to do to get to the knockout round at the 32-team tournament in Australia and New Zealand. The top two teams in each of the eight groups move on, with both Canada and Denmark currently precariously positioned in second in their pools. The seventh-ranked Canadians (1-0-1) need to defeat or draw No. 10 Australia (1-1-0) in their final Group B game Monday at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. Canada could also advance with a loss, providing No. 40 Niger...

At least four people were electrocuted Saturday and seven others injured after an Ashura (Muharram 10) procession came into contact with a high-voltage wire in India, police told AFP . Every year on Muharram 10, Yaum-i-Ashura is observed with solemnity to pay homage to Imam Husain, the grandson of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and the other martyrs of Karbala. Members of a procession in the eastern state of Jharkhand were killed when a metal pole carried by some devotees hit an overhead cable, Bokaro district police superintendent Priyadarshi Alok told AFP . “Four people have died and seven others are injured,” he said. Deaths by electrocution are common in India as a result of waterlogging during the summer monsoon season. Nearly 11,000 people on average die by electrocution in India every year, according to official data. from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/AYl4vo2

Stuart Broad joked he does not know the rules after the TV umpire ruled Australia’s Steve Smith was not run out in the fifth and final Test at The Oval on Friday. Substitute fielder George Ealham, son of former England international Mark, sprinted in from the rope as Smith sought to complete a risky two and hurled in a hard, flat throw that left the diving batsman short of his ground. It brought back memories of the 2005 Ashes when the unknown Gary Pratt ran out Ricky Ponting, but a careful review of the replays appeared to show England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow nudging one of the bails out of its groove a fraction of a second before taking the ball. Smith had been on his way to the pavilion when he turned on his heels, with TV umpire Nitin Menon ruling in his favour. The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), cricket’s lawmakers, posted a clarification of the rules on its social media channels. Paceman Broad, who took 2-49, admitted he was non-plussed. “I honestly don’t know the...

Three terrorists were killed by security forces in separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Khyber and South Waziristan districts, the military’s media affairs wing said on Saturday. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), an exchange of fire occurred between security personnel and terrorists in the Bagh area of Khyber district on July 27. During the operation, one terrorist was killed, and ammunition was recovered from his possession. In another encounter a day later in Gomal Zam area of South Waziristan district, security forces gunned down two terrorists, the ISPR said. The ISPR highlighted that the slain terrorists had been actively involved in perpetrating terror activities against security forces and were also responsible for the ruthless killings of innocent civilians. At present, “the area is undergoing sanitisation operations” to ensure the elimination of any other terrorists in hiding, according to the ISPR’s statement. Notably, ...

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has temporarily suspended the arrest warrants for PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the contempt case and asked him to appear before the commission on August 2 to face indictment, it emerged on Saturday. In a written order of its July 25 hearing , a copy of which is available with Dawn.com , the ECP said it was suspending the arrest warrants previously issued for the former premier. The decision was taken in light of his appearance before the electoral watchdog in relation to the case. Imran had on July 25 appeared before the election watchdog for the first time since August last year when the case was initiated. A day before his appearance, the ECP had ordered Islamabad police to arrest Imran and pre­sent him before the elect­ion watchdog. The ECP had initiated contempt proceedings against the PTI chief, party leader Asad Umar and former information minister Chaudhry last year for allegedly using “ intemperate ” language against the chief elec...