Latest news with #Pakistan
Arab News
31 minutes ago
- General
- Arab News
Gaza in the spotlight during Pakistani PM's regional diplomacy tour
ISLAMABAD: The leaders of Pakistan, Turkiye, and Azerbaijan met on Wednesday at a trilateral summit in Lachin and called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, saying Israel's war on the besieged enclave was the clearest example of the 'crisis of legitimacy' of the international system. The trilateral summit was addressed by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev. 'In these days of deepening polarization and increasing blockization, we are witnessing the international system gradually drifting into a crisis of legitimacy,' Erdogan said during his speech. 'The clearest example of the crisis of the international system is Israel's relentless cruelty and expansionist policies in Palestine.' He said countries like Turkiye and Pakistan would continue defending the rights of the people of Gaza. 'We call on the entire world from here [trilateral summit] to increase pressure on the Israeli administration for establishing a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and for taking uninterrupted emergency humanitarian aid into Gaza,' the Turkish leader added. Earlier, Sharif had also called for an 'immediate ceasefire' in Gaza and access to 'unimpeded humanitarian aid' for its people. 'They also expressed deep concern over the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza, urgently calling for an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access to the affected Palestinian population,' Sharif's office said after he met Erdogan. Israel launched its latest air and ground war in Gaza after a cross-border attack by the Hamas group on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people by Israeli tallies, with 251 hostages abducted into Gaza. The war has killed more than 53,900 Palestinians since, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated the coastal strip. The entire 2.1 million population of Gaza is facing prolonged food shortages, with nearly half a million people in a catastrophic situation of hunger, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness and death, according to the World Health Organization. Food security groups say more than 93 percent of children in Gaza, about 930,000, are at risk of famine. Using satellite data, the United Nations estimated in February that 69 percent of the structures in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed.
Khaleej Times
7 hours ago
- General
- Khaleej Times
Agha and Hasan star in Pakistan's win over Bangladesh in first T20
Skipper Salman Agha hit a career best knock and pacer Hasan Ali grabbed his first five wicket haul as Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 37 runs in the first T20 international in Lahore on Wednesday. Agha struck a career-best 56 to guide Pakistan to 201-7 before Hasan took 5-30 to dismiss the tourists for 164 in 19.2 overs at Gaddafi Stadium. The win gives the home team a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Allrounder Shadab Khan, who also struck a quick 48, then dismissed rival skipper Litton Das for a 30-ball 48 to break a fighting 63-run stand for the third wicket that lifted Bangladesh from 37-2. Litton hit three sixes and a boundary and had steadied the innings with Towhid Hridoy who scored 17, but the later batters could not capitalise on the platform. Pacer Hasan ended Jaker Ali's knock of 36 (21 balls with three sixes and a boundary), Tanzim Hasan for one and Shoriful Islam for five to cap a succesful return to international cricket after a year-long injury lay-off. Hasan said he was happy and satisfied. "The last eight months were very tough because it was a career-threatening injury so I am happy to have contributed to the team's win," said Hasan, who underwent elbow surgery last year. "I did hard work during the rehab and it's a reward for that hard work," said Hasan. Bangladesh skipper Litton was unhappy. "All over the game, we didn't bowl well, bat well and field well," said Litton. "We have to come back strongly with two games still to play." Earlier, Agha struck a 34-ball 56, with eight fours and a six, while Hasan Nawaz's 22-ball 44 with four sixes helped Pakistan pass 200 after the hosts won the toss and chose to bat. The captain, whose previous T20 best of 51 not out came against New Zealand in March, added 48 for the third wicket with Mohammad Haris and 65 for the fourth with Nawaz. Pakistan were struggling at 5-2 after the loss of openers Saim Ayub, for a duck, and Fakhar Zaman in the first two overs. Shadab scored a 25-ball 48 to help Pakistan add 58 in the last five overs. All six Bangladesh bowlers were among the wickets, with left-arm seamer Islam taking 2-32 in three overs. The remaining two matches are on Friday and Sunday, also in Lahore.
Telegraph
8 hours ago
- General
- Telegraph
Pakistani drug dealer can stay in UK ‘to teach son about Islam'
A Pakistani drug dealer has been allowed to remain in the UK because of his role in talking to his son about Islam and his culture. The Home Office ordered the deportation of Muhammad Asif Karim, 43, after he amassed seven convictions for a total of 21 offences, including supplying the class A drugs heroin and cocaine, for which he served a four-year jail sentence. He won his appeal against his removal after arguing that it would breach his rights to a family life under article eight of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). An upper tribunal accepted it would be 'unduly harsh' on his son if he was to be deported to Pakistan, even though his child was being 'largely brought up by his white British mother'. The son gave evidence to the immigration court that his father 'is able to talk to him about Islam, about Pakistani culture and his own upbringing'. The case, disclosed in court papers, is the latest example uncovered by The Telegraph in which illegal migrants or convicted foreign criminals have been able to remain in the UK or halt their deportations on human rights grounds. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, has announced plans to curb judges' powers to block deportations with new legally enforced 'common sense' rules to clarify how judges interpret article eight of the ECHR, and to strengthen the public interest test. Karim came to the UK on a visitor's visa in 1988 at the age of seven and never went home. After his prison sentence for drug dealing, he avoided deportation by becoming a witness in a murder trial. However, he was thrown off a witness protection programme after continuing to offend. Even though the Home Office issued the deportation order against him in 2015, it was not until 2023 that his appeal against his removal was considered by a first-tier tribunal. It backed his claim on article eight grounds but the Home Office appealed against that decision. The upper tribunal heard that he had avoided criminality for a decade, enjoyed a 'parental relationship' with his son and had lived in the UK for 26 years, amounting to most of his life. After being told about his talks with his son, the tribunal accepted that these were 'matters fundamental' to the boy's identity. The Home Office argued that this was 'conjecture', with no independent corroboration from a social worker or psychologist. The upper tribunal was 'satisfied' that the lower court was entitled to 'place weight' on the boy's evidence. 'We do not think it controversial to suggest that such matters would have significance for this child, who is himself of Pakistani origin, but is being largely brought up by his white British mother,' it said. The tribunal also noted that the boy's mother felt that Karim had a 'positive impact' on the child. It said he 'could talk to his son about studying and job choices, he could teach him to shave and talk to him about things a mother could not'. 'Unduly harsh' to deport It therefore accepted that it would be 'unduly harsh' to deport Karim, and rejected the Home Office appeal. 'Although there is a particularly strong public interest in removing someone who habitually committed crimes over a 14-year period, his last offence was committed over 10 years ago and he has complied with all probation and rehabilitation requirements, as well as the reporting conditions imposed on him by the Home Office,' it said. 'He has throughout the relevant period suffered from significant and debilitating mental ill-health, and although this was not a factor that the first-tier tribunal thought significant, it is right to note that there has been an inordinate delay – over 10 years –- on the part of the Secretary of State in effecting this deportation. 'There was also evidence that he was himself a survivor of violence, trauma and criminality, all of which had played a role in his troubled youth.'
Associated Press
8 hours ago
- General
- Associated Press
Hasan and Agha lead new-look Pakistan to 37-run win over Bangladesh in T20
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Fast bowler Hasan Ali grabbed a 5-30 and led a new-look Pakistan T20 cricket team to a thumping 37-run win over Bangladesh in the opening game of their three-match series on Wednesday. Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha made a career-best 56 as Pakistan posted a competitive 201-7 after Agha won the toss and elected to bat in Mike Hesson's first assignment as Pakistan's new white-ball head coach. Hasan, playing only his second Twenty20 international in more than 2-1/2 years, dismissed both openers with the new ball and claimed three more wickets in the death overs to bowl out Bangladesh for 164 in 19.2 overs. Pakistan dropped seasoned batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in a bid to look for youngsters, who could bat aggressively — especially in the power play. The selectors also overlooked fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi for the home series despite the left-arm fast bowler leading Lahore Qalandars to their third Pakistan Super League title in four years last Sunday. Hasan rocks Bangladesh In the absence of Afridi, Hasan provided Pakistan early breakthroughs despite Tanzid Hasan smashing three sixes and two fours in his brisk 31-run knock off 17 balls. Parvez Hossain Emon, who scored a century against United Arab Emirates in a T20 last week, could score only four as he mistimed a pull shot against Hasan and was caught on the edge of the circle. Tanzid's aggression was also cut short by Hasan's knuckle ball as the left-hander got deceived by slowness of the delivery and was clean bowled in the fourth over. Skipper Litton Das (48) and Towhid Hridoy (17) combined in a 63-run stand off 48 balls but the asking rate always kept creeping as Shadab Khan bowled a tidy four-over spell of 2-26. Das was smartly caught at point by Fakhar Zaman as he tried to square cut Shadab in the 12th over and Hridoy was out plumb leg before wicket when he tried to play across the line against left-arm spinner Khushdil Shah in the next over. Jaker Ali countercharged briefly with 36 off 20 balls that included three sixes and a boundary but was caught at short fine leg as he tried to play Hasan's short ball but top-edged to Abrar Ahmed. Hasan also took a brilliant running catch to dismiss Tanzim Hasan Sakib before he finished off Bangladesh innings when No. 11 Shoriful Islam was caught at long-off. Agha and Shadab spur Pakistan Pakistan had a bumpy start when Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman, both returning to international cricket after injuries, fell inside the first eight balls. Saim offered a tame return catch off the first ball he faced against Mahedi Hasan and Zaman played Shoriful across the line and was adjudged leg before wicket. But Mohammad Haris, replacing wicket-keeper batter Rizwan, didn't hold back and counterpunched in the power play with a brisk 31 off 18 balls. Fast bowler Tanzim intelligently varied his pace and dismissed Haris soon after the powerplay before Agha and Pakistan's new T20 batting sensation Hasan Nawaz took charge. Agha smashed eight fours and a six while Nawaz, who was adjudged PSL player of the tournament, smashed four sixes and a two fours in his belligerent 44 runs off just 22 balls. Agha fell to a soft dismissal when he chipped an easy catch to extra cover of Mahmud's high full toss while Nawaz smashed Rishad Hossain for two fours and a six before offering a straightforward catch to the spinner in the 14th over. But Shadab took charge in the final four overs as Pakistan scored 51 off the last 23 balls before Shadab holed out at mid-on off the penultimate ball. All the six Bangladesh bowlers were amongst the wickets with Shoriful bagging 2-32, but Rishad returned with expensive figures of 1-55. Lahore will also host the remaining two games on Friday and Sunday. ___ AP cricket:
Al Jazeera
8 hours ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 37 runs in first T20 of series
Pakistan stormed to a 37-run win against Bangladesh in the opening T20 international of the three-match series at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Hasan Ali, returning to the side for the first time in a year, claimed 5-30 to bowl the tourists out for 164 in the final over. Having won the toss, the hosts amassed 201-7 with captain Salman Agha top scoring with 56, but the innings was not without its bumps. Right-arm seamer Hasan stole the hearts at least on his return to the international fold, following injury troubles, having recently impressed in his country's domestic Two competition, the Pakistan Super League. 'I have seen him work hard and put in extra hours, and it has all paid off,' his skipper said afterwards. On his top score in the match, Salman added, 'What mattered is that everyone contributed, and that's how we want to play – everyone has to bat, bowl and field well.' Pakistan, like Bangladesh, are looking to recover from the group-stage exits at February's ICC Champions Trophy, a competition they hosted. It couldn't have been a worse start for the hosts, who also lost seven of eight matches in the recent white-ball series against New Zealand, as they were reduced to 5-2 after eight balls of their innings. Mohammad Haris began the recovery with his captain Salman as the pair shared a stand of 51 for the third wicket. Hasan Nawaz took that foundation on with the highest strike rate of the innings as he hit 44 off 22 balls in a stand of 65 – the highest of the innings. Salman was the only batter in the match to reach a half century and posted 56 off 24 with eight fours and one six. The fourth-wicket pair fell within 11 deliveries of each other, and the finish looked to be stuttering until Shadab Khan smashed 48 off 25 to pile the pressure back onto Bangladesh. The allrounder's end came off the penultimate ball of the innings as Shoriful Islam claimed his second wicket – the only Bangladesh player to claim more than one scalp. A top-heavy reply from the tourists looked to offer hope of a series-opening win as the highest partnership of the match of 63 was shared between their captain Litton Das and Tawhid Hridoy for the third wicket. The breaking of that partnership, with the score on 100-2 before Litton departed, was the beginning of the end for the chase. Shadab Khan claimed 2-26 along with his ferocious tally with the bat to be named Player of the Match. 'My comeback to Pakistan colours wasn't great despite my hard work, but my recent performances in PSL helped regain some confidence,' the Pakistan vice captain said, having lost his place in the side recently. All the matches in the series are being played in Lahore, with the second game taking place on Friday before the series finale on Sunday. 'We didn't bowl, bat and field well,' Bangladesh captain Litton said in his post-match comments, believing his team needs more consistency in 'all areas of the game'. 'We have two more games, so we must come back strongly as a unit,' he added.
