He specified that Bangladesh going in with only left-handers in their top four was not the issue
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Thursday, 31 August 2023
The first WBBL draft: what will the teams want?
Which big name will Scorchers go for, who will the defending champions retain and how can Sixers replace Ecclestone?
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Govt hikes petrol price by nearly Rs15, HSD by Rs18
The caretaker government has pushed through a sharp hike in the price of petrol by Rs14.91 per litre and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs18.44 per litre.
The increase brings the price of petrol to Rs305.36 per litre and HSD to Rs311.84 per litre, the Ministry of Finance said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) after midnight.
No revision was specified in the rates of kerosene or light diesel oil.
The price increase comes on the heels of an already massive hike on August 15 when the interim government raised fuel prices by up to Rs20 per litre. That jump in petroleum prices had come after similar hikes by the previous government on Aug 1.
The price hike is based on existing tax rates and import parity prices, mainly because of currency depreciation and a slight increase in international oil prices.
The rupee yet again continued to extend losses today sliding another Rs1.09 against the US dollar in the interbank market. It closed at a record low of Rs305.54.
Since the induction of the caretaker set-up, the rupee has shed 4.6pc. Through August, the rupee lost 6.2pc.
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Danielle McGahey set to become first transgender woman to play international cricket
She has been named in Canada's squad for the Women's T20 Americas Qualifier, a pathway to the 2024 T20 World Cup
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In pictures: Once-in-a-decade ‘super blue Moon’ lights up the sky
A rare “super blue Moon”, that won’t be seen again for more than a decade, put on a once-in-a-decade cosmic show in different regions across the world on Wednesday night.
Scientists described it as a “super blue Moon”. Supermoons occur when the Moon passes through its perigee or the point that takes it closest to Earth during its elliptical orbit. This makes it look about 14 per cent bigger compared to when it is at its furthest point, and a touch brighter.
Despite the description, it wasn’t actually blue: the term “blue Moon” simply refers to when we see a full moon twice in a month. This happens because lunar cycles are a bit shorter at 29.5 days than calendar months, which last 30 or 31 days, so it’s possible for one to happen at the start of a month and the other right at the end.
The previous super blue Moon occurred in December 2009, with the next set to come in quick succession: January and March of 2037.
Header image: A super blue moon rises behind a ferris wheel located at Stokes Hill Wharf in the Northern Territory capital city of Darwin on August 31, 2023. — AFP
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Wednesday, 30 August 2023
Gauff downs Andreeva to make US Open third round
NEW YORK: American teenager Coco Gauff qualified for the third round of the US Open on Wednesday after beating 16-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 6-2.
Sixth seed Gauff, one of the favourites for the title after recent tournament wins in Washington and Cincinnati, will meet Belgium’s Elise Mertens or countrywoman Danielle Collins for a place in the last 16.
After a tough opening round against German veteran Laura Siegemund, Gauff dominated the youngest player in the draw to notch a 13th win in 14 matches since losing in the Wimbledon first round.
The 19-year-old defeated Andreeva for the second time in three Grand Slams after winning their French Open clash in the first act of a potentially era-defining rivalry.
“I just learned to be aggressive, because if you give her something she is going to take advantage,” said Gauff, who was taken to three sets by Andreeva at Roland Garros in June.
“I did well today making her play off her back foot. She has a great future in front of her — I think she is going to be back on this stage many more times.”
Up next for Gauff will be a clash with Belgian 32nd seed Elise Mertens, who was a 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-1 winner over American Danielle Collins in a match that lasted nearly three hours.
Also reaching the third round was Swiss 15th seed Belinda Bencic, who beat Briton Yuriko Miyazaki 6-3, 6-3, while American Taylor Townsend knocked out Brazilian 19th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 7-6 (7/1), 7-5.
On Tuesday, Carlos Alcaraz got his title defence off to an easy start as injured German Dominik Koepfer retired against the 20-year-old top seed.
Alcaraz, returning to the same Arthur Ashe Stadium court where he lifted his first Grand Slam as a teenager a year ago, was always in control after Koepfer rolled his left ankle badly in the opening game.
Koepfer tried to continue despite being in obvious discomfort, but finally called it quits while trailing 3-2 in the second set after dropping the first 6-2. Alcaraz will face Lloyd Harris of South Africa in the second round.
Andy Murray, the 2012 US Open champion, recorded a landmark 200th Grand Slam match win as he turned back the clock to beat young Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6-2, 7-5, 6-3.
The 36-year-old Scotsman said he was playing some of the best tennis on a consistent level since 2017. He faces Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the second round.
Italian sixth seed Jannik Sinner handily beat German Yannick Hanfmann 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 and will play compatriot Lorenzo Sonego next.
Karen Khachanov — a semi-finalist at last year’s US Open — was on the wrong end of a first-round upset. The 11th-seeded Russian was bounced out in straight sets by American world No.89 Michael Mmoh, losing 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.
Germany’s 12th seed Alexander Zverev, a beaten finalist at Flushing Meadows in 2020, never looked in danger of following Khachanov out of the tournament, registering a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic.
Meanwhile, China sealed a notable first when Wu Yibing beat Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic 3-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to join compatriot Zhang Zhizhen in the second round.
It is the first time in tennis’s Open era that two Chinese men have reached the second round of the same Grand Slam tournament.
In the women’s draw meanwhile another semi-finalist from 2022 also made an early exit, with French seventh seed Caroline Garcia slumping to a 6-4, 6-1 reverse against Chinese qualifier Wang Yafan.
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, the reigning Australian Open champion, progressed with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Ukraine-born Belgian Maryna Zanevska to set up a meeting with Britain’s Jodie Burrage.
Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, seeded ninth in New York, cruised into the second round on Tuesday with a 6-3, 6-0 win over South Korean qualifier Han Na-Lae.
Third seed Jessica Pegula meanwhile kept home hopes alive with a clinical 6-2, 6-2 defeat of Italy’s Camila Giorgi. Pegula will play Romanian Patricia Maria Tig next.
Seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams came up short of her goal to make it past the opening round for the first time since 2019, losing 6-1, 6-1 to Belgian qualifier Greet Minnen in her 100th US Open match.
Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2023
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Rupee’s plunge fuelling inflation, economic concerns
KARACHI: The consistent devaluation of the rupee is not only causing inflation but is also compelling the central bank to raise interest rates to mitigate the repercussions of uncontrolled depreciation of the local currency, according to bankers who manage exchange rates and imports.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported that the dollar appreciated by Rs1.40 to reach Rs304.45 in the inter-bank on Wednesday.
“The market is not in control of anyone. The steep devaluation will continue and even cross the limit given by the IMF,” a senior banker said, adding that nobody knows what is next for the exchange rate.
Under the Standby Arrangement (SBA), the IMF will provide $3 billion in three instalments over nine months and is willing to witness a 20pc devaluation of PKR against the US dollar in FY24.
US dollar up by Rs1.40 to Rs304.45 in interbank and Rs325-Rs330 in kerb
However, in less than two months of the current fiscal year, the PKR has devalued by 10.5pc, or Rs29 per dollar. On July 4, when the IMF approved the SBA, the dollar in the inter-bank market was traded at Rs275.44, which reached Rs304.45 on Wednesday.
“This fast deprecation of local currency is alarming for the government in charge. There must be some pause in the frequent free fall of the rupee,” said Atif Ahmed, a currency dealer in the inter-bank market.
Shamshad Akhtar, the interim finance minister, reportedly said on Wednesday that unfortunately, “we have done everything to weaken the economy”. She further said in Islamabad that Pakistan’s economic situation was “worse than anticipated”.
“Such statements from the finance minister are nerve-wracking. The bleak situation has already shattered market confidence. We can only wait for further worse,” said Mr Atif.
There has been strong speculation in financial circles that the interest rate will be raised again to counter the escalating inflation. The devalued PKR is driving up the cost of imports, which, in turn, is inflating the economy beyond the expectations and calculations of economic managers.
According to analysts’ reports, inflation for August is predicted to range from 26pc to 28pc, while the government’s expectation is around 21-22pc. This sharp rise in inflation is expected to prompt the SBP to address it with a further interest rate hike. The interest rate is already at a record high of 22pc, which has already diminished the possibility of domestic investments. A further increase could prove devastating for trade, industry, and overall economic growth, which is projected to be at 2.5pc in FY24.
Analysts said that adopting a market-based exchange rate could potentially spare Pakistan from unnecessary import restrictions, promoting economic growth. However, the country currently struggles to meet the escalating demand for dollars. The SBP could only manage to save up to $8bn in reserves, but there are no signs of further inflows, which sends weak signals to the currency market.
“The only way to save your money is to buy any foreign currency rather than keeping PKR,” suggested a currency dealer in the open market. He said the open market is attracting the general public for their savings. The dollar rate as quoted by the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan was Rs319.5, but it was difficult to buy dollars at this rate. The dollar was in the range of Rs325 to Rs330.
Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2023
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Kuggeleijn and Solia skittle Australia A to complete huge turnaround
Only Cameron Bancroft showed resistance on the final day as the hosts lost 8 for 84
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LHC asked for judicial inquiry into Jaranwala violence
LAHORE: A Christian trust organisation has approached the Lahore High Court for a judicial inquiry into the burning of churches and houses by a mob in Jaranwala.
Grace Bible Fellowship Church Pakistan, a missionary trust, filed a writ petition through its chairman Peter Charles with multiple requests to the court.
The petitioner states that an incident of alleged defiling of the Holy Quran unfortunately happened in Jaranwala, and through announcements from local mosques, a severe riot took place by a furious mob of Muslim devotees.
It says the mob ransacked the properties of Christian residents, and the riotous elements torched more than 25 churches of and over 50 houses, along with household articles, using petrol bombs.
It submits that the members of the Christian community of the area still live in state of fear and at risk to their lives and liberty.
The petition alleges that the local administration and law enforcement authorities deliberately failed to control the violent mob and the law and order situation.
It contends that although joint investigation teams (JITs) constituted by the government will submit their findings after completion of due course, which is a time taking practice, whereas the victims seek instant remedies to restore their routine life.
Expressing its concerns over the working of the JITs, the Christian body says more than 500 suspects were involved in the riots, but the police have on arrested 25 to 30, just to save their skins. It alleges that police officials are also under undue pressure from influential extremist elements.
The petition pleads that the Christian community is dissatisfied with the performance and discriminating behaviour of the police, as well as the proceedings of the JITs.
It asks the court to order a judicial inquiry committee to ensure a fair investigation and trial of the perpetrators of the Jaranwala incident.
It urges the court to restrain the police from engaging in illegal abduction, harassment and pressurising of the members of the Christian community at the behest of religious elements for any undue, unfair compromise and settlement.
Advocate Shahbaz Fazal Saroya, the petitioner’s counsel, resubmitted the petition after removing the objections raised by the registrar’s office.
Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2023
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Plane, gym, international debut: Tanveer Sangha takes surprise call in his stride
The legspinner only arrived in South Africa 24 hours earlier, but went on to claim four wickets
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ECP says it intends to shorten duration of delimitation of constituencies
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday said it intended to shorten the existing four-month timeline designated for the delimitation of national and provincial assembly constituencies.
The ECP conveyed this intention in a press statement following separate meetings with delegations from the Balochistan National Party (BNP), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and the Awami National Party (ANP).
These meetings, led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja, were held to discuss the election roadmap.
Earlier this month, the ECP ruled out elections this year, following the notification of the latest 2023 digital census. Since the National Assembly was dissolved three days before the end of its constitutional term, Article 224 of the Constitution mandates that elections be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the assembly by November 9.
But at the same time, Section 17(2) of the Elections Act states that “the commission shall delimit constituencies after every census is officially published.”
In line with this requirement, the ECP previously said the process of fresh delimitation was expected to be completed by December 14 — over a month beyond the constitutionally mandated deadline for conducting general elections.
Since last week, the ECP has also been consulting political parties on elections and has already held meetings with the PPP, PTI, PML-N, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl, Jamaat-i-Islami and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan.
In a statement issued after today’s meetings, the ECP said the CEC assured the delegations that the electoral watchdog intended to shorten the duration of the delimitation process and would ensure the timely conduct of elections.
“After reducing the delimitation timeframe to an appropriate length, the ECP will announce the schedule for elections,” the watchdog added.
The statement said the ANP demanded of the ECP that polls must be held within the constitutionally mandated 90-day period. It added that the ANP raised a concern that the ECP should have engaged with political parties prior to initiating the process of delimitation.
The party noted that the ECP should uphold the equitable distribution of seats among provinces, as outlined in the Constitution, and avoid any actions that might be perceived as unjust, the press release further said.
It mentioned that the ANP conveyed its full confidence in the ECP, affirming that the watchdog’s decision regarding delimitations must have been undertaken after meticulous consideration and thought.
“The CEC said the ECP has set a target to conclude delimitations by Dec 14, 2023, and the commission also plans to shorten this timeframe, and the specific timetable for the polls will be revealed once this comprehensive process reaches its conclusion.”
The ECP chief said there was also a possibility of shortening the delimitation timeline and concurrently releasing the election schedule in the next few days, the statement added.
It said the BAP endorsed the ECP’s decision to carry out fresh delimitations prior to the elections. Meanwhile, the BNP delegation also stressed that the ECP should strive to ensure that the elections were conducted within the constitutionally mandated 90-day timeframe. The party also voiced concerns about the accuracy of the new census, contending that it inaccurately represented the population of Balochistan.
The ECP statement quoted the BNP as stating, “If the ECP considers delimitations to be a prerequisite, then it must first address the errors associated with it.”
Talking to the media earlier in the day, ANP central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the ECP had categorically assured it of not delaying polls beyond February.
“The ECP also said that it could hold elections earlier than February if the delimitation exercise was completed before the deadline,” Hussain said.
He claimed assemblies were dissolved earlier to delay elections.
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Tuesday, 29 August 2023
Sutlej flood recedes as water moves downstream
LAHORE: The flood level in Sutlej river has started to recede as it moved downstream from Bahawalpur on Tuesday.
The decline in water flow has been recorded after the river remained in a high-flood state for the past many weeks as India released water following heavy rains in its northern states.
On Tuesday, the water entered the settlements of Weaslan, Sahlan, Lal De Goth, Hasilpur and Khairpur Tamewali in Bahawalpur district and caused widespread destruction.
The moderate-level flood is now heading towards tehsil Ahmedpur East, south of Bahawalpur, Dawn has learnt.
Regarding the threat to at least seven villages in Ahmedpur East, Bahawalpur Deputy Commissioner Zaheer Anwar Jappa said the embankments and dykes in the area were intact.
He warned if the water level increased, it may damage some of the zamindara (private) dykes.
The Ahmedpur East assistant commissioner was looking after relief and rescue efforts, Mr Jappa said, adding camps have been set up in the area to house affected people and cattle.
DC Jappa has also refuted reports that water flow in the river posed any danger to the Jhangra East highway bridge on the Sukkur-Multan Motorway, around 50km West of Bahawalpur.
Even in case of high flood in the river, the bridge near Jalalpur Peerwala will be under no threat as it has a side passage and a wider water course for the diversion of the extra flood water, the DC told Dawn.
However, he expressed hope that such a situation would not arise as currently, the river flow was normal and the condition will further improve in the coming days.
On Monday, some news channels claimed the bridge would be in danger in case the flood situation worsened in the area.
Receding water level
The water level in areas upstream of Bahawalpur has receded from a high- to medium-flood state, according to the Provincial Disaster Manage-ment Authority (PDMA) spokesperson.
Eyewitness accounts have also confirmed that the water level has started subsiding in some areas including Lal Sohanra and Khairpur Tamewali tehsil of Bahawalpur district.
The water level has receded by about three to four inches, some locals told Dawn, adding that this has provided a sigh of relief to the affected population who were eager to return to their homes.
Even though the situation has improved in some areas, many villages in Lodhran district were still facing water logging as flood water was yet to recede in human settlements and agricultural lands.
The situation was normal at headworks with the maximum recorded flow of 108,049 cusecs at Ganda Singh Wala near Kasur. At Head Sulemanki near Okara, the flow was 84,014 cusecs and 81,366 cusecs at Head Islam near Vehari.
Head Syphon near Mailsi was also in a medium-level flood. All other rivers were flowing normally, according to PDMA data.
Some government officials have told Dawn that if no new deluge is released by India in the river, the situation may further improve within the next few days.
Rescue 1122 said it has undertaken a “massive operation” to relocate villagers away from the flood-hit areas across Punjab in the past 24 hours.
According to Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Farooq Ahmed, around 4,900 people were successfully evacuated, with 631 people and 252 animals transported to safer areas.
Rescue 1122 has deployed 422 boats and 1,650 rescuers in flood-affected regions throughout Punjab, the spokesperson added.
Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2023
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Rauf, Pooran, Kaur and Kapp among platinum draft nominations
Twenty-five players have been elevated to the top groups across the WBBL and BBL
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Peter Handscomb, Wiaan Mulder guide Leicestershire to first county final since 2001
Gloucestershire battle after being bundled out for 125, but fifth-wicket stand seals deal
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New Delhi lodges strong protest with China over map claiming ‘India’s territory’
India said on Tuesday that it had lodged a strong protest with China over a new map that lays claim to India’s territory, the latest irritant in testy ties between the Asian giants.
The protest by New Delhi followed reports in the Indian media that Beijing had released an official “standard map” showing the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin plateau as its official territory.
China claims Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern Himalayas to be a part of southern Tibet and had in April released a map renaming 11 places in the state as being within “Zangnan”, or southern Tibet in Chinese.
Aksai Chin is a disputed plateau in the western Himalayas claimed by India but controlled by China.
“We have today lodged a strong protest through diplomatic channels with the Chinese side on the so-called 2023 ‘standard map’ of China that lays claim to India’s territory,” the Indian foreign ministry spokesperson said.
“We reject these claims as they have no basis. Such steps by the Chinese side only complicate the resolution of the boundary question,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, India’s foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar dismissed China’s territorial claims.
“Making absurd claims on India’s territory does not make it China’s territory,” Jaishankar told news channel NDTV.
New Delhi’s protest comes days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to China’s President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg last week and highlighted concerns about the stand-off on their disputed Himalayan frontier.
Relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours have plummeted after soldiers from both sides clashed in the Himalayas in June 2020, resulting in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops.
While the situation on the nearly 3,000-kilometre frontier has been calm since, the face-off continues in a few pockets with tens of thousands of soldiers amassed on both sides of the frontier in the western Himalayas.
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England ride the switchback as T20 cricket comes out of mothballs
Hasty World Cup prep begins as England embark on first white-ball campaign since March
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Monday, 28 August 2023
Syrian airport closed after Israeli strikes
DAMASCUS: Israeli air strikes on Aleppo airport in northern Syria caused the grounding of flights on Monday, Syrian state news agency SANA reported, citing a military source.
During more than 12 years of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions.
“At about 4:30am (0130 GMT) this morning, the Israeli enemy undertook an aerial aggression from the direction of the Mediterranean west of Latakia, targeting Aleppo International Airport,” the source said, adding that this resulted in damage to the runway.
Israel rarely comments on strikes it carries out in Syria, but has repeatedly said it will not allow its arch-foe Iran to expand its presence in the country.
An Israeli army spokesperson on Monday said: “We do not comment on reports in the foreign media.”
Syrian transport ministry official Suleiman Khalil said the damage centred on the only functioning runway, adding that “maintenance teams will start repair work today to return the airport to service as quickly as possible”. Flights were diverted to Damascus and Latakia airports, he said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes also targeted weapons depots at the adjacent Nayrab military airport.
Israeli strikes have repeatedly caused the grounding of flights at the airports in Aleppo and the capital Damascus, both of which are controlled by the government.
In early May, Israeli strikes on the Aleppo area killed four Syrian officers and three Iran-backed fighters and forced a halt to flights, according to the war monitor.
Israel strikes put the airport out of service twice in March.
Three people were killed during a March 7 strike, while another strike two weeks later destroyed a suspected arms depot used by Iran-backed militias at Aleppo airport, the Britain-based Observatory reported.
Monday’s strikes come a week after two fighters backing the Syrian government were killed in Israeli air strikes on sites near Damascus, said the Observatory, which relies on a network of sources on the ground in Syria.
Syria’s war has killed more than 500,000 people, displaced millions and battered the country’s infrastructure and industry since it began in 2011.
The war pulled in foreign powers and jihadists, and while the frontlines have mostly quietened in recent years, large parts of the country’s north remain outside government control.
With Iranian as well as Russian support, Assad’s government has clawed back much of the territory it had lost to rebels early in the conflict.
Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2023
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Sutlej waters head downstream after flooding Bahawalpur
• Bahawalpur DC says 128,000 people evacuated • Locals lament ‘inadequate support’
• PMD forecasts more rain in catchment areas
LAHORE / BAHAWALPUR: The high water flow in Sutlej river moved downstream on Monday after causing widespread devastation in villages and riverine settlements around Bahawalpur city.
The river has been in a high-flood state for the past many weeks after India released water following heavy rains in its northern states.
The high water flow submerged Bahawalpur suburbs after several zamindara (private) protective dykes were breached.
The water entered the settlements of Weaslan, Sahlan, Lal De Goth, Hasilpur and Khairpur Tamewali.
According to Bahawalpur Deputy Commissioner Zaheer Anwar Jappa, the administration had moved over 128,000 people and over 50,000 livestock to safety before the water entered these areas.
On Monday, the district administration managed to protect the Raj-era’s Empress Bridge on the main Karachi-Lahore track and the Bahawalpur bridge over the National Highway N-5.
Videos on social media showed an “unusual diversion” in the flow of Sutlej river as it made its way under the bridge in Bahawalpur.
Reportedly, the water had passed through the channel after decades. Videos shared on X, previously Twitter, showed people gathering on the bridge to look at the gushing river.
After submerging Bahawalpur’s suburbs, the water is now headed towards Ahmedpur East tehsil and Punjnad headworks where the Sutlej river merges into Chenab river and the combined flow then falls into Indus river 30km downstream.
Deputy Commissioner Jappa told the media on Monday the Ahmedpur East administration and Rescue 1122 have already been alerted to take comprehensive relief measures to ensure the safety of people and their animals. He said several Ahmedpur East villages might be affected by the flood.
Giving details of the destruction in Bahawalpur, Mr Jappa said three mauzas were completely affected by flood while 55 were partially damaged and crops over 47,000 acres had so far been affected in the district.
Sohail Baloch, a farmer from Jalalpur Pirwala near Bahawalpur, said two bunds, Zamindara and Sarwani Shah, were breached, leading to flooding of several union councils.
He said cotton, corn and fodder, the main crops in the region, were at risk of being destroyed by the floods.
Shahid Iqbal, a former Union Council chairman from Bahawalpur, claimed many villages were submerged as dykes built by farmers failed to withstand water flow.
He criticised the lack of assistance from the government and lamented as residents of flooded villages were grappling with the calamity, people from Bahawalpur city were visiting the affected areas for picnics.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s Flood Forecasting Division has issued a rainfall warning for next month.
According to the advisory on Monday, a “fresh wet spell of moderate intensity is likely to start over the upper catchments of all the major rivers from September 2”. PMD stated that forecasts won’t result in flood situations in major rivers. However, the flow of Sutlej river would remain subject to the amount of water released by India.
Damage assessment
According to data from Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the water level at headworks upstream of Bahawalpur continued to recede from high flood state to medium on Monday.
The maximum flow of 108,049 cusecs was recorded at Ganda Singh Wala Barrage near Kasur. At Head Sulemanki near Okara, the flow was 94,574 cusecs and 94,282 cusecs at Head Islam near Vehari. All other rivers were recorded to be in their normal water flow.
According to the PDMA spokesperson, human settlements and thousands of acres of crops have been destroyed in villages and riverine areas in seven districts along the Sutlej river.
Approximately 548 villages in Kasur, Bahawalnagar, Okara, Pakpattan, Lodhran, Vehari and Bahawalpur have been inundated, prompting the evacuation of 210,912 people, with another 89,211 individuals rescued between August 17 and 27. Over 100,000 acres of crops have also been inundated.
Rescue work
According to Rescue 1122, 254 boats with over 1,000 rescuers have been deployed in flooded areas.
Successful evacuations of humans and livestock have been carried out in Bahawalpur, Pakpattan, Kasur and Vehari districts while similar operations were ongoing in Multan, Sahiwal, Rajanpur, Khanewal, Bahawalnagar, Layyah, Lodhran and Okara, according to the organisation.
Since July 9, 112,137 people have been evacuated from and moved to safer locations.
Meanwhile, 95 medical camps have also been set up in areas adjacent to Sutlej river across the province to provide healthcare facilities, according to the PDMA spokesperson.
He said more than 36,000 people had been provided medical treatment so far. “Apart from that, 178 relief camps are also functioning in the affected districts.”
Over 20 ambulances have also been stationed in the affected areas to deal with any emergency.
Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2023
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Six players to watch in South Africa-Australia T20Is
The big prize on the horizon is the ODI World Cup, but it's only nine months until the next men's T20 edition takes place in West Indies and the USA
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2 police officers martyred, 3 injured by unidentified gunmen in Lakki Marwat
Two police officials were martyred and three were injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat when unidentified gunmen attacked a patrolling vehicle on Monday, according to an official.
Lakki Marwat District Police Officer (DPO) Tariq Habib told Dawn.com that the gunmen launched an assault on a patrolling vehicle from the Pizo Police Station, resulting in the immediate death of two officers.
Following the incident, a large contingent of police officers arrived at the scene, cordoned off the area and launched an investigation into the incident, he added.
Separately, unidentified attackers targeted a police checkpoint in Swat and injured an officer.
Swat DPO Shafiullah told Dawn.com that the assailants, whose identities remain unknown, targeted a checkpoint in the Talegra area. Consequently, one police officer sustained injuries and was transported to Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital, the DPO added.
Subsequently, he said a police team arrived at the scene and initiated a search operation within the adjacent mountainous regions to apprehend the attackers.
Last week, four people, including a passerby, were killed and two others injured when gunmen opened fire on their rivals during a weekly fair in the Landiwah area of Lakki Marwat district.
Surge in terrorism
The attacks come as terrorism in Pakistan has been rearing its head again. Over the past few months, the law and order situation in the country — especially in KP and Balochistan has worsened — with terrorist groups executing attacks with near impunity across the country.
Since the talks with the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke down in November, the militant group has intensified its attacks, particularly targeting the police in KP and areas bordering Afghanistan. Insurgents in Balochistan have also stepped up their violent activities and formalised a nexus with the outlawed TTP.
In January, a powerful suicide blast in a mosque in Peshawar Police Lines killed 84 people and injured many others.
According to statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think-tank, January remained one of the deadliest months since July 2018, as 134 people lost their lives — a 139 per cent spike — and 254 received injuries in at least 44 militant attacks across the country.
Additional input from Murad Ali Khan.
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Sunday, 27 August 2023
‘Malicious’ social media drive against IHC CJ denounced
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) on Sunday condemned the ongoing “malicious campaign circulating on social media targeting the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Justice Aamer Farooq”.
A statement issued by IHCBA president Naveed Malik stated that the bar strongly condemned the ongoing malicious campaign circulating on social media against the IHC chief justice, although it did not mention anyone as responsible for it.
The ministry of law, as reported by PPI, held the PTI responsible for the campaign.
Justice Farooq, who has been hearing Imran Khan’s appeal against the trial court’s decision that convicted the PTI chairman in the Toshakhana case, was recently accused by the former prime minister of trying to keep the petitioner behind bars to prevent him from contesting general elections.
The chief justice is scheduled to hear the final arguments on Monday (today).
The IHCBA statement noted, “Justice Farooq, renowned for his unwavering commitment to the principles of honesty and competence, has consistently demonstrated these qualities through his impartial and merit-based judgements.”
It further said that relentless campaign, driven by ulterior motives to tarnish the impeccable reputation of the chief justice, can only be perceived as deliberate and malevolent effort to undermine the stature of a distinguished judge and erode public trust in the judiciary.
“We are resolute in our determination to prevent such evil intentions from coming to fruition at any cost,” the statement said.
“We will call upon the authorities to take swift and decisive action against the instigators of this malicious propaganda, holding them accountable for their actions in a court of law. It is imperative that their true motives and the full extent of their disinformation efforts be exposed and addressed promptly,” it said.
It is relevant to note that the former prime minister, Mr Khan, through his lawyers, had filed a petition before the Supreme Court, requesting the transfer of all his cases being adjudicated in the IHC to some provincial high courts.
The ministry of law also strongly condemned the campaign being run against the IHC chief justice and held the PTI responsible for it. According to PPI, the ministry said that political parties should refrain from attacking state institutions.
Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2023
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Hafeez tops Sohail as Texas Chargers win US Masters T10 final via Super Over
Ehsan Adil, Ben Dunk and Sohail Tanvir played good supporting hands to make sure Chargers edged the see-saw title clash
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Hunt on as suspects in murdered minor girl’s case remain elusive
LAHORE / LONDON: In the wake of the mysterious death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif in England earlier this month, the Jhelum police teams are intensively searching for her family, including prime suspect Malik Urfan Sharif, the girl’s father, officials said.
Police teams have carried out frequent raids at all the possible hideouts, including in Mr Sharif’s hometown, Dena in Jhelum; in Sara’s mother’s hometown, Mirpur in Azad Jammu and Kashmir; and in Sialkot, where close relatives of the suspects live.
However, police said the family remained elusive, with Mr Sharif taking extra precautions to avoid detection. Officials said the suspected family might have gone underground somewhere in some other province.
Jhelum DPO Nasir Mahmood Bajwa, however, hoped on Sunday that the prime suspect would be arrested within 24 hours.
Police conduct raids in hometowns of Sara’s parents; girl’s grandfather appeals son to come forward
The body of Sara Sharif, daughter of Olga Sharif and 31-year-old Malik Urfan Sharif, was found in a Woking council house belonging to Mr Sharif, a local taxi driver, in the early hours of Aug 10. Police said no other people were found at the property when the body was discovered.
The discovery of the minor’s body prompted a murder investigation, with the police launching a hunt for the three suspects, including Sara’s father, in connection with the probe.
The London police were told that the suspects had spent thousands of pounds on one-way air tickets to escape to Pakistan. The Interpol alerted the Pakistani police authorities to help trace the suspects.
Hot pursuit
Rawalpindi Regional Police Officer Syed Khurram Ali Shah told Dawn the police teams were on hot pursuit of the suspects and trying hard to trace the possible hideouts of the suspected family.
He said the police obtained the video footage of the immigration counter of Islamabad airport and found Mr Sharif, his wife and children arrived there on Aug 9.
Later, they left the airport premises but the footage of the CCTV cameras installed outside it was unclear as to what kind of transport they used to reach their destination.
A police source said the police picked up the maternal uncle and brother of the prime suspect for questioning but they were unsure about Mr Sharif’s location and his other family members.
Mr Shah said he dispatched a police team to Mirpur based on information obtained from Mr Sharif’s brother when he told them that Mr Sharif’s wife hailed from Mirpur.
The police raided the house in Mirpur with the coordination of the local police and could not find the suspected family there, Mr Shah said, adding that the police also raided homes of some close relatives of the prime suspect in Sialkot but to no avail.
The official source said the prime suspect seemed so clever that he neither used the local sim nor contacted his relatives by other means, as he might have been alerted that the police were vigorously pursuing him and his family in the wake of the alleged murder of his minor daughter.
Appeal by Urfan’s father
Meanwhile, Urfan Sharif’s father has appealed to his son to come forward and speak to the police.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Muhammad Sharif, 68, urged his son to come forward. “We want them to present themselves,” he said. “We want to resolve the matter as the privacy of our house is affected due to frequent police raids.”
He said his son had not informed him of Sara’s death when he briefly visited them in Jhelum after their arrival in Islamabad.
On Sunday, news reports said police in Pakistan were tracking a mobile phone SIM believed to be that of Urfan Sharif.
Ilyas Sadiq in Jhelum also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2023
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Additional grants plugged, except for ‘severe disasters’
ISLAMABAD: The caretaker government has tightened the fiscal policy, banning supplementary grants except in case of severe natural calamities and setting strict conditions for diverting funds to other objectives until an elected government takes charge.
“No Supplementary Grants for any additional unbudgeted spending over the parliamentary approved level in FY24 [current fiscal year] will be approved in order to remain within the approved budgetary allocation, at least until the formation of a new government after the elections (except if needed to respond to a severe natural disaster),” the Ministry of Finance told all ministries, divisions and associated departments and entities in a memorandum.
It said cases for supplementary grants, even in severe natural disasters, would be considered where no funds could be made available through reappropriation. In that case, the technical supplementary grants would be taken up once the principal accounting officer leading the entity concerned provides a certificate that all avenues had been exhausted and this would need to be verified by the relevant accounting organisation.
Such supplementary grants would also be considered if the principal accounting officer provides valid justification and cogent reasons for demanding the grant and the finance ministry’s expenditure wing supports these justifications and certifications.
Caretakers set strict conditions for technical grants until elected govt takes over
Regarding the technical supplementary grants, the memorandum said that only principal accounting officers would submit requests for the provision of funds with the identification of resources under other demands and certificates regarding equivalent surrender from the heads from where the funds are to be surrendered.
The expenditure wing will examine cases in detail and submit recommendations for consideration by the budget wing, which will then process the cases in the light of system applications and products in a data process report along with fiscal space available for the approval of funds for diversion.
The finance secretary would then process such requests for approval of the cabinet and its Economic Coordination Committee (ECC).
Once the federal cabinet approves funds for technical supplementary grants, the principal accounting officer will submit a schedule for the grants duly endorsed by the expenditure wing along with copies of the approved summary and decision of the ECC, ratification of the cabinet and surrender order to the director budget computerisation for entry in the SAP system and subsequent releases by the finance ministry keeping in view the availability of funds and in line with release strategy.
All entities and ministries have been told that if the amount authorised for a particular service for the current financial year is insufficient or that a need has arisen for expenditure upon some new service not included in the approved budget documents, the principal accounting officers would have to follow a tight mechanism for the reappropriation of funds.
It said the principal accounting officers had been provided additional funds to meet the funding requirements of this year’s ad hoc relief allowance announced in the budget for the current fiscal year under a separate cost centre in each grant demand.
The officers have been asked to reappropriate funds in consultation with the finance ministry only for ad hoc relief allowance to cost centres of divisions, attached departments and subordinate offices within respective demands for grants no later than Aug 31.
Within the various heads of account under employee-related expenditure (ERE), the reappropriation of funds would be allowed within an approved demand for grant and appropriation from one head of account to another, provided that no reappropriation will be made from employee-related expenditure head to any other head of account (non-ERE).
In case of a shortfall in employee-related expense allocation during the current fiscal year, the reappropriation of funds from non-ERE heads of account would be made on a priority basis and reappropriation orders duly approved by the relevant officer shall be provided to the accounting organisations for entry into SAP system.
Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2023
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Williamson has two weeks to prove fitness for ODI World Cup
Jimmy Neesham has been withdrawn from the T20I squad to return home for the birth of his first child
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Tom Curran rescues Oval Invincibles to deliver Men's Hundred glory
Record stand with Neesham turns tables on Originals after early slump to 34 for 5
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Aneurin Donald blitzes 63-ball century to take Hampshire through to semi-finals
Brad Wheal claims four-for as Worcestershire fall narrowly short in chase of 307
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Saturday, 26 August 2023
Pakistan men’s team defeat India to win gold in world blind cricket
LONDON: Pakistan men’s team beat India to win the gold medal in the cricket International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) World Games in Birmingham on Saturday, cementing Pakistan’s winning streak of five consecutive games and becoming champions.
Pakistan successfully chased a 185-run target in the 15th over after a promising batting innings.
There were scenes of jubilation and celebration at the Edgbaston cricket stadium in Birmingham, where the green shirts did a victory lap to applause and the beat of the dhol.
Pakistani fans in the crowd cheered on the team and embraced the players as they waved the national flag.
Opening batsmen M. Ullah and N. Ali ensured the team got to the 50-run mark off just 27 deliveries.
Indian bowlers went on to give away 42 runs as extras which gave Pakistan a major edge.
M Salman’s 48 off 25 and B Munjir’s 41 off 12 were enough to help Pakistan cross the winning line.
The IBSA World Games or World Blind Games are an international event, occurring every four years, organised by the International Blind Sports Federation. The events enable blind and partially sighted athletes to compete in a number of sports. The first event took place at Madrid, Spain in 1998.
Pakistan in previous games beat India, Australia, Bangladesh and England.
Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2023
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FIA grills Imran over ‘missing’ cipher
TAXILA: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) again interrogated detained PTI chief Imran Khan in Attock Jail on Saturday in a case related to a diplomatic cable that reportedly went missing from his custody.
FIA sources said a six-member joint investigation team, led by FIA Deputy Director Ayaz Khan, met Mr Khan in the office of the jail’s deputy superintendent and interrogated the former prime minister for over an hour.
Earlier, FIA’s counter terrorism wing registered a case over the cipher, which reportedly went missing from the official record of the Prime Minister’s Office, sources said.
The cipher in question was the same document Mr Khan waved last year in an Islamabad rally days before the ouster of his government, describing it as proof of a US-backed conspiracy to remove him from power because of his stance on Russia.
Last month, on July 25, Mr Khan appeared before a joint investigation team formed to probe the cipher case.
Mr Khan has been under increased scrutiny following the publication of a purported copy of the secret cable by a US news outlet, with many in the previous government pointing fingers at the PTI chief for being the source of the leak.
The FIA was initially investigating Mr Khan for revealing the contents of a confidential diplomatic cable and keeping it in his possession. However, after former principal secretary Azam Khan disclosed that the cipher went missing from the custody of Imran Khan, the investigation agency also started looking into this aspect.
According to his statement, Azam Khan had handed over the cipher to the former premier, who later told him he had misplaced it and did not return it despite repeated requests.
Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2023
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Buttler masterclass sets up record chase to put Originals in final
Southern Brave overwhelmed after fifties from Allen, Vince and Conway lead them to 196 for 1
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Pakistan call up Saud Shakeel in place of Tayyab Tahir for Asia Cup
Tayyab will accompany the team as a travelling reserve in the 17-man squad
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Bob Barker, long-time US TV game show host, dies at age 99
Bob Barker, an affable fixture on US television for half a century who hosted the popular game show ‘The Price Is Right’ for 35 years and was a committed animal rights activist, has died at age 99, his publicist said.
The silver-haired Barker, host of ‘The Price Is Right’ from 1972 to 2007, won 19 Daytime Emmy awards, the top US television honours, and also was known for a memorable comic turn playing himself in the hit 1996 film ‘Happy Gilmore’, beating up a character played by Adam Sandler.
Barker died on Saturday morning of natural causes at his longtime Hollywood Hills, California, home, his publicist Roger Neal said.
Barker gave millions of dollars to pro-animal causes, including donating $5m for a 1,200-ton ship named the Bob Barker that was operated by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to stop Japanese whaling ships from killing whales off Antarctica.
‘The Price Is Right’, in which contestants tried to guess the price of various consumer products and played a slew of games to win prizes, became a US pop culture institution on daytime TV with the smooth-talking Barker at the helm for 6,586 episodes.
A studio announcer would bray “Come on down!” as one by one excited contestants would trot out of a studio audience down to the stage. Exuberant contestants occasionally would bear-hug and even tackle Barker.
“Can I kiss you?” a woman once inquired during a show.
“No, I’m working,” deadpanned Barker, known for his good-natured humour. “Meet me in the parking lot later.”
Over the years, he handed out more than $300m in cash and prizes like cars, appliances and trips.
“I think TV hosts are like pies and some people like apple and some cherry and some chocolate,” Barker told the Hartford Courant in 2009. “I’m just very fortunate that they liked me well enough to invite me into their homes for 50 years.”
‘The Price Is Right’ became the longest-running game show on US television.
Barker returned to the show in 2013 to mark his 90th birthday and again in 2015 for an April Fools’ Day episode.
Barker was known for pro-animal causes and campaigned for them into his 90s. He would end episodes of ‘The Price Is Right’ by urging viewers to get their pets spayed and neutered to control the animal population and began a foundation to subsidise the practices. He also spoke out against the treatment of animals in zoos, rodeos and circuses.
Barker stopped eating meat in 1979. His hair abruptly became silver when he quit using hair dye because it is tested on animals.
In 1987, Barker quit as longtime host of the Miss USA and Miss Universe beauty pageants when pageant officials refused to stop draping contestants in fur coats.
In the film ‘Happy Gilmore’, Barker played himself in a memorable scene in which he was playing in a golf pro-am tournament with Sandler’s character, an excitable failed hockey player turned golfer. The two come to blows in a wild, extended comic brawl that ended with Barker thrashing Sandler.
They staged another fight for a promotional video in 2015 when Barker, who studied karate with tough-guy actor Chuck Norris, was 91.
In 1994, a woman who worked as a model on ‘The Price is Right’ sued him for sexual harassment but Barker said it was a consensual intimate relationship. The suit later was dropped.
Barker, born on December 12, 1923, in Darrington, Washington, began his career in radio. In 1956, he was hired to host a TV version of the radio quiz show ’Truth or Consequences on NBC and stayed with the programme until 1975. Even before his stint on that show wrapped up, Barker began hosting ‘The Price Is Right’ on CBS.
Barker did not remarry after his wife, Dorothy, died of cancer in 1981.
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Sam Billings overcomes Hundred scepticism as tactical 'nuances' test his captaincy
Invincibles skipper believes bowling focus has influenced T20 Blast approach as well
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Friday, 25 August 2023
Lost and found in Skardu — where mountains meet the soul
The path is mostly clear, the terrain easy, and yet I keep losing my footing over stones hidden under the lush green grass because I just can’t seem to concentrate on the trail. My eyes refuse to break contact with the white mountains dominating the skies. For a moment, the delusion that I can touch the peaks overpowers, but the millennia-old glaciers, dazzling under the setting sun, are far too glorious for a mere cluster of blood and dust.
Astronomer Carl Sagan, in A Pale Blue Dot, puts my reverie perfectly into words. “On a scale of worlds,” he writes, “humans are inconsequential, a thin film of life on an obscure and solitary lump of rock and metal.”
To be on top of the second-highest plateau in the world, popularly known as the Deosai Plains, in the July summer was to feel almost unwanted. This was a place where humans are scarce, where silence hums and the fragrance of flowers, of every colour, fills the winds.
A journey along the Indus
One has to sit through a four-hour ride and traverse through a gnarled trail carved out of ancient rocks to reach the “roof of the world”, far beyond colonial boundaries and modern tensions, situated in the heart of the Western Himalayas at an elevation of 4,114 meters or 13,497 feet.
A friend in Karachi, a wanderlust man of good taste, had spoken to me of Skardu — where the Deosai Plains are located — one evening. He told me of the intimidating Karakoram mountains, of small tea shops and of forts dating back centuries.
I desperately wanted to go. I was mourning the lush green mountains of Naran I had visited a few years back. But little did I know that the wonder of travel lies less in the reminiscence of lost time and more in the discovery of the new.
A week after the meeting with my friend, I met Amjad Maqpoon at a three-star hotel in Islamabad. It was a relief to see the lanky man with his wide-teeth smile and Balti accent, materialise out of a speculative WhatsApp group titled “Skardu-Deosai”. He was introduced to me by a local tour company, the ones that pop up on Instagram feeds every summer. We agreed on a price and decided to leave for Gilgit-Baltistan at 4am the next day.
The journey to the land of the mountains commenced with a flat tyre and an air-conditioning system that was best left untouched. But soon, we were zooming past the Hazara Motorway, out of the comfort of the capital’s sleek roads, towards a discreet rugged terrain, the mystery of which kept me up throughout the bumpy drive. I caught flashes of pine trees in deep shades of green framed against the deep blue sky and clear water of the Kunhar river.
After a day on the road, we ascended into the mountains of GB through the Karakoram Highway (KKH), a road renowned for its sweeping vistas and sharp spiralling gradient.
The journey from Babusar Top to Chilas felt like a transition. The lush green mountains started losing their vegetation until they were completely replaced by daunting and jagged boulders that threatened to gulp you down. Sticking through thick and thin, the Indus river provided the perfect company to the towering peaks, crevicing through every stone, adamant not to leave the sunburnt Karakoram ranges alone.
Novelist JM Coetzee once said: “There’s no mere landscape.” In GB I understood the real meaning of these words, for the landscape grew so diverse, but never lost the comfort of the mountains, showcasing the many facets of Earth.
After every few kilometres, eucalyptus trees appeared, serving both as a warning and greeting of the human population, in valleys sparsely covered with short and emerald grass. Ahead, in the same frame, were craggy mountains that led up to peaks of sunlit-snow. Sunburnt mountain rocks, with overgrown shrubs, played host to markhors. These impossible combinations, this infinite variety is what GB is. It is as if Earth is opening up its depths and revealing the complete range of all it has to offer.
! The Indus river never leaves the side of the Karakoram Ranges.
A land beyond my imagination
The sun had set, leaving behind a sky covered in hues of orange, when the KKH finally entered Skardu — also known as the mountaineer’s paradise — 1,423km from Karachi, where I had first set off from. The city, which connects the lifeline Indus to Pakistan, welcomed me with lights twinkling from tiny abodes on mountains.
Located in the lap of the Karakoram, downtown Skardu is a busy place, bustling with sun-tanned foreign mountaineers on the search for a souvenir to take back home. Locals, running tin-roofed small shops of antique items and dry fruits, are welcoming, almost always waiting for a chance to help a tourist.
“The crime rate in Skardu is zero,” Muhammad Iqbal, our driver, tells me. “And if you lose something here, the locals will make sure to find it and bring it safely back to you.”
A little past 9pm, after spending more than 12 hours on the road, we finally reached a small hotel called Apricot and Spring Resort. In the darkness of the night, the small lodges looked warm and comforting. But the next morning, under the beaming sunlight, I woke up to a small stream, veining through narrow and topless canals. Eucalyptus trees, with their white trunks, provided the perfect foreground to snow-capped peaks. The sight was a marvel. In front of it, I felt my body turn into a speck of dust, lost in the vastness of the world before me.
The thing about Skardu is that everywhere you see — twirl and you will get my point — the horizon is blanketed with white and brown peaks, smiling. It is almost inconceivable that the mountains could be this close to you.
“Have you ever felt this exposed before?” Mohammad Hassan, a young man with golden-brown hair and a crooked smile, asked me. He was a local, assisting my tour guide with the trip. Hassan directed me to an old wooden gate at the far end of a walled garden crowded with apricot and apple trees. I opened it, and there in the crude frame, was the boundless expanse of rugged mountains with sharp rocks that looked as if they could fall on you any moment. It was arrestingly beautiful, and yet, I still felt an odd feeling that I didn’t belong here.
Hassan asked me multiple times if I wanted to capture the moment through an artificial lens. But I just couldn’t respond. It is strange. We say we travel for experiences, but when real experiences come our way, particularly those that can’t be easily put into words, we hesitate to record them. Perhaps because the lens can’t possibly do the memory justice.
My musings were cut short by the call for breakfast. I ate narm roti and namkeen chai in a compact and mundane dining hall, adjacent to a small kitchen. Soon we were back on Skardu’s meandering roads, headed to a 17th century palace built on primordial rocks.
The entrance to Shigar Fort lies in a narrow alley, cocooned in the mountains. The palace, now turned into a museum and luxury hotel, was built by the Raja of the Amacha Dynasty. The intricate woodwork on the doors and windows of the palace narrate a story of their own — so do the intimate rooms where kings and queens once rested.
“The maharani would sit by the window,” our guide tells us, “waiting for her raja to come back from deadly wars.” As I sat on the edge of the window sill, a sense of longing, unknown to me, took over. It came in waves followed by a sudden sense of calm.
From the window, the world was a hazy sight of canopies surrounded by grey mountains. I felt I stood at the periphery of an interconnected world of disbelief and fantasy.
‘A door to heaven’
That afternoon, we also stopped at the Sarfaranga Desert. At a height of 7,500 feet, its lines brought a feeling of continuity to me. The imperishable vastness was uninterrupted as the Karakoram ranges ran around it like a sea wall.
But the hidden glory of the desert unveiled itself as the sun set, its beams sparkling against the silver sand. As it grew dark, the sky was encrusted with thick clusters of stars. These tiny specks of light, I feel, have a secret love affair with the mountains. The two, teasing each other, deceive you with their proximity, when in reality, their reunion is an impossible tale.
With a hangover from the previous night’s star gazing, the next morning we headed for Kharmang, a district located at a 40-minute drive from Skardu.
“Kharmang is the district that connects Pakistan to India via Kargil,” Hassan told me during the choppy drive. During breakfast that morning, the boy from the mountains, as I like to call him, refused to tell me the secret place he was taking me to.
“Madam, I am taking you to the door to jannat [heaven] today,” he enthusiastically said. Hassan’s confidence started creating an image in my mind, of what could and could not be, but what my eyes witnessed at the Manthoka Waterfall was really, as the mountain boy said, a portal to another world.
Summers in Skardu and other areas of Baltistan are humid. The air is hot and the sun shines too bright, both for the eyes and the body. But in the far north of the region, a natural air conditioner is at work as ice on massive glaciers melts into the rivers and ultimately merges into the mighty Indus.
I dipped my feet into the ice-cold water. It left me numb for the first few minutes but then evoked a spark. The next moment, I found myself dipping my face into the magical stream. They say rivers have memories. After that dunk into the Mathoka Waterfall, I knew they were right. The water is a Pensieve of memories, an echo of lethal wars, a recollection of the people who lived and died, a never-ending journey of progression.
After sitting on the sharp rocks for what seemed like forever, I had the urge to move to the heart of the waterfall and see the organ that pumps pure bliss. I did eventually reach there, but after crossing a suspension bridge that added adventure to my fairly dreamy escapade.
Crossing the pul-e-sirat, what we jokingly called the bridge, I reached the mouth of the 180-foot tall waterfall. The freezing water droplets, as they condensed into the air, soothed my sunburns from the Sarfaranga Desert.
Mantokha was the most crowded among all the places I visited in Baltistan. It wasn’t a surprise to be honest — after all, humans can’t live without water. And here, it was in its purest form — wild, clear and untethered.
On my last morning in Skardu, I finally headed out for a day-long excursion to the Deosai Plains, the roof of the world where I left a piece of my heart. The landscape is a dazzling contrast of viridescent grass, vibrant flowers, subdued streams, icy pinnacles and cotton clouds. It seemed to be straight out of a fictional tale — so abstract, so suggestive, so moving in its determination to remain as material proof of the world that once was.
But little did I know that beyond the grassland lay an alpine lake, located in the heart of the Deosai Plains, amid the snowy peaks of the Himalayas and Kargil.
When we arrived at the Sheosar Lake after a three-hour hike, I was heaving. The reason was not just my out of shape body, but also the sight before me. In the middle of a vast arena sat a sombre but breathtaking pool of water, the source of which were stardust glaciers.
I was welcomed by light snowfall as I reached the lake. Within minutes of registering the view in front of me, I set out for more. We climbed a hill adjacent to the lake. As I sat on a rock, half dangling from the edge of a cliff, the silence of my surroundings engulfed me. I went still.
I had been in Skardu scarcely a few days, but for the first time in my 26 years of life, I felt as if I had entered a sphere of deep atavisms and belonging. It had been a surreal journey, in which I had let people, experiences and places come to be without resisting. And it was to take yet another turn.
As I entered the fourth day of my trip, sunburnt and filthy, with hardly any spare clothes left, Hassan surprised me with a small getaway to yet another waterbody — they just keep calling me — the Upper Kachura Lake.
This one was located in the centre of the rugged Karakoram, once again surrounded by eucalyptus trees.
“This lake is over 250 feet deep,” my mountain boy said. “In the secrets of the water lie hundreds of people, now dead, who were once pulled by the beauty of this place.”
Hearing this sent chills down my spine — not because my life was too dear to me, but because I might have been one of those people who succumbed to the enchanting water, without any regrets or resistance.
Soon, as we turned our backs to the Upper Kachura Lake, to gear up for the long journey back to Karachi, I would be left with an odd feeling of melancholy. Soon there would be a table of friends waiting for a wonderful dinner. Soon I would have to bid farewell to two strange tour guides who are too kind.
Soon there would be all this and more, but before I drove away from the mountains and ‘civilisation’ returned with all its force, I found it hard to let go of Skardu — beautiful and wild.
My friend in Karachi had mentioned the persistence of Gilgit-Baltistan’s magic. In Skardu, I knew I would be leaving this magic behind me, swerving through the KKH, back into the land of rules.
In all honesty, it was a feeling of emptiness, of being vacated by the mountains. The tranquility I had found quietly faded — the noise returned. But perhaps deep down, I knew they were with me. I could feel the glacial streams running through my veins. I had brought the pahaar back home with me.
Header image: An ode to the town that lies in the lap of Karakoram range. — All photos by author
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Thursday, 24 August 2023
Over 6,500 rescued as Sutlej still in flood stage
• Low-lying areas inundated in Vehari
• Rains likely to continue until Aug 27
LAHORE: The Sutlej River was in medium to high flood on Thursday night, with water pouring over the spillways at different sites at a higher rate than normal, whereas rescuers evacuated over 6,500 people from flood-hit areas of Punjab over the past 24 hours, officials said.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported that floodwaters entered Vehari district and inundated low-lying areas after the flow rate at Islam headworks increased to a high level from 94,000 to 120,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs).
However, a medium-level flood at a flow rate of 115,000 cusecs was passing through the Ganda Singh Wala barrage and at 117,000 cusecs through Sulemanki headworks. (One cubic foot is roughly equal to 28.3 litres.)
The PDMA said in a report that over the previous day, it had set up 75 camps, transported 4,683 people to safe places, rescued 6,658 others, transported 1,002 head of cattle and served food to 7,317 people in the affected districts, including Bahawalnagar, Kasur, Okara, Vehari, Lodhran and Bahawalpur.
Officials said on Wednesday that rescuers had already evacuated more than 100,000 people from flood-hit areas of eastern Punjab in the past three weeks.
The rescue operations were expanded last week after several hundred villages and thousands of acres of cropland were inundated when the Sutlej River burst its banks on Sunday. Most of the evacuations were reported in Bahawalpur and Kasur districts.
Small-scale evacuations began in July after India diverted water from dams into the Ravi River, which flows from India into Pakistan.
A PDMA spokesperson said on Thursday that monsoon rains were likely to continue until Aug 27 and they were expected in the upper regions of all major rivers. He said the Sutlej River continued to experience flood and the water level was likely to rise due to more rains.
He said the water level was increasing at the Rasul Barrage in the Jhelum River, which could create a flood situation in Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Khanewal, Multan and Muzaffargarh districts.
He said the Tarbela Dam at the Indus River was also witnessing a low-level flood, as the Mangala and Tarbela dams were full while other rivers in Punjab were witnessing a normal flow.
PDMA’s director general, Imran Qureshi, said the situation remained critical due to a flooding situation in the Sutlej River since Aug 17 and the administration was put on high alert. He said steps were being taken to inform the public about any emergency.
He said that as many as 583 villages were affected due to a high flood in Sutlej and 966 rescue officials were performing duties in the affected areas.
Besides, 92 medical camps were set up in flood-affected districts where more than 3,528 individuals were provided medical treatment. Some 118 relief camps were also established in the affected regions and 56,560 individuals stranded in floodwaters were rescued through urgent measures.
Mr Qureshi said the floodwaters have affected over 100,000 acres.
CM chairs cabinet meeting
Meanwhile, Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi instructed ministers to remain in the field for the next seven days to oversee rescue and relief operations in the flood-affected regions.
Mr Naqvi, who chaired the 24th cabinet meeting on Thursday, also sought reports from caretaker ministers on rescue and relief activities during the meeting and expressed satisfaction with the rescue and relief efforts in the affected areas.
Earlier, the PDMA and Pakistan Meteorological Department had warned that the water level in the Sutlej River might rise further over the next 24 hours after rains in the upper catchment areas.
On Aug 15, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a warning of medium to high flood in the Ravi River following the release of 171,797 cusecs of water from India on Aug 14.
The NDMA had alerted all the departments concerned to ensure precautionary measures to avoid any loss of lives and damage to private and public property.
Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2023
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Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE among six new entrants to BRICS
• Move aimed at accelerating group’s push to reshuffle ‘outdated’ world order
• Entry of oil powers highlights their drift away from US
JOHANNESBURG: The BRICS bloc of developing nations agreed on Thursday to admit Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates in a move aimed at accelerating its push to reshuffle a world order it sees as outdated.
The group’s leaders left the door open to future enlargement, potentially paving the way for the admission of dozens more countries motivated by a desire to level a global playing field they consider rigged against them.
The expansion adds economic heft to BRICS, whose current members are China, the world’s second largest economy, as well as Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa. It could also amplify its declared ambition to become a champion of the Global South.
But long-standing tensions could linger between members who want to forge the grouping into a counterweight to the West — notably China and Russia — and those that continue to nurture close ties to the United States and Europe.
“This membership expansion is historic,” Chinese President Xi Jinping, the bloc’s most stalwart proponent of enlargement, said. “It shows the determination of BRICS countries for unity and cooperation with the broader developing countries.”
Originally an acronym coined by Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O’Neill in 2001, the bloc was founded as an informal four-nation club in 2009 and added South Africa a year later in its only previous expansion.
The six new candidates will formally become members on Jan 1, 2024, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said when he named the countries during a three-day leaders’ summit he is hosting in Johannesburg.
The entry of oil powers Saudi Arabia and UAE highlights their drift away from the United States’ orbit and ambition to become global heavyweights in their own right.
“BRICS has embarked on a new chapter in its effort to build a world that is fair, a world that is just, a world that is also inclusive and prosperous,” Ramaphosa said.
“We have consensus on the first phase of this expansion process and other phases will follow.”
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi celebrated his country’s invitation to join BRICS with a swipe at Washington. “The expansion of BRICS shows that the unilateral approach is on the way to decay,” Iran’s Arabic-language television network Al Alam quoted him as saying.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister told Al Arabiya TV that the kingdom appreciated the invitation by BRICS to join the group and would study the details before the proposed Jan 1 joining date and take “the appropriate decision”.
Prince Faisal bin Frahan said BRICS was “a beneficial and important channel” to strengthen economic cooperation.
Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2023
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Tim Paine joins Adelaide Strikers as assistant coach in BBL
Former Australia and Hobart Hurricanes captain will work under Jason Gillespie at Adelaide Strikers this summer following a coaching stint with Australia A later this month
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Vlaeminck ruled out of second successive WBBL following shoulder surgery
Meanwhile, Australia captain Meg Lanning has returned to training with Victoria after missing the Women's Ashes
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US supports fair elections, ambassador tells CEC
ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador Donald Blome on Thursday met Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja to reaffirm the United States’ support for free and fair elections “conducted in accordance with Pakistan’s laws and Constitution”.
According to a press release issued by the US Embassy, the US ambassador reaffirmed that Pakistan’s leaders are the people’s choice, underscoring commitment to enhancing US-Pakistan ties regardless of the chosen leadership.
Though not explicitly stated, concerns over poll delay were implied as global figures urged elections within 90 days per the Constitution.
Pakistan was scheduled to go to polls by November after the National Assembly was dissolved and a caretaker government announced earlier this month, but following a decision by the Council of Common Interests to approve results of digital census and its notification two days prior to NA dissolution, the ECP had announced a schedule to delimit the constituencies, going beyond the constitutional deadline to conduct the polls.
Flood relief assistance
The US has provided more than $215 million in flood relief, disaster resilience and food security assistance for Pakistan since the beginning of the catastrophic floods of 2022.
Figures released by the US Embassy in Islamabad on Thursday showed that more than $80m in US humanitarian assistance through USAID to provide urgently needed supplies for those most affected, including support for food, nutrition, health, security, safe drinking water, improved sanitation and hygiene, and shelter.
Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2023
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Lahore ATC allows police to interrogate Imran in 6 more cases
LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) allowed police on Thursday to interrogate incarcerated PTI Chairman Imran Khan in six more cases related to the May 9 riots.
The decision followed the addition of new sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) in the FIRs dealing with offences of abetting mutiny in the armed forces and waging war against Pakistan.
The investigating officers filed separate applications before the court in each case, saying they needed to interrogate Imran Khan after the addition of offences under sections 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against Pakistan), 131 (abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty) and 146 (rioting) in the FIRs.
Other offences under sections 120, 120-A, 120-B, 121-A, 505, 153, 153-A, 153-B and 107 of PPC were also added to the cases, including the attacks on Askari Tower, Shadman police station, and torching of PML-N offices in Model Town.
Court upholds objections on dismissed bail pleas, PTI chief’s lawyer challenges hurdles to meeting client
Ejaz Ahmad Buttar, the ATC judge, said in his observations: “Request of the Investigating Officer being apt is accepted under the law.”
The judge had previously allowed a joint investigation team (JIT) to interrogate and arrest former prime minister Imran Khan in a case pertaining to the attack on the corps commander’s house in Lahore on May 9.
The DIG (Investigations) Lahore, who is the convener of the JIT’s, had sought permission to interrogate and arrest the PTI chief in an FIR registered by police regarding the attack on Jinnah House, which also serves as the corps commander’s residence.
Objections upheld
A Lahore High Court division bench upheld office objections on the petitions of the PTI chairman challenging the dismissal of his pre-arrest bail pleas in seven cases related to the May 9 violence.
The registrar’s office objected to the petitions’ maintainability, saying the documents furnished by the petitioner had not been attested.
Barrister Salman Safdar appeared on behalf of Imran Khan. The bench comprised Justice Waheed Khan and Justice Sultan Tanvir Ahmad.
The bench asked the PTI chief’s counsel to file the petitions again in line with requirements cited by the registrar.
On Aug 11, judge Ejaz Ahmad Buttar had dismissed Imran Khan’s pre-arrest bail plea in the May 9 cases for non-appearance.
Mr Khan’s counsel had requested the court to excuse him from personal appearance, citing his imprisonment in Attock since Aug 5.
The judge said that Imran Khan’s counsel had failed to point out any specific legal provision upon which an exemption from personal attendance in a pre-arrest bail case can be granted after imprisonment.
The judge ruled that Mr Khan’s application was not maintainable and dismissed bail petitions in all cases with similar observations.
Lawyer files petition
A lawyer for Imran Khan filed a petition in the Lahore High Court on Thursday against several officials of Attock jail for not allowing him to meet his client.
Barrister Salman Safdar pleaded that he had sought permission from jail officials to visit Imran Khan, but they dismissed his request ‘unlawfully’.
Mr Safdar said he needed to seek instructions from his client regarding multiple cases pending before the courts. He asked the court to order the jail authorities to allow him to meet the PTI chief.
Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2023
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Cross: I don't understand why anyone would think about scrapping the Hundred
"You just want to shake the people that are saying they need to get rid of it… it just winds me up"
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Wednesday, 23 August 2023
Finding Iqbal on the streets of America
NEW YORK: Muhammad Ali Jinnah Way, Adeed Fayyaz Memorial Way, and now Allama Iqbal Avenue — the Pakistani American community is growing its roots in North America.
There are two Muhammad Ali Jinnah ways, one in Chicago and another in Brooklyn, New York. A stretch of Devon Avenue in North Chicago was named after the founder of Pakistan in the 1980s, and the other in Brooklyn was named after him in 2019.
There are also places that are named after cities in Pakistan, such as Lahore in Virginia, Peshawar Street in San Antonio, Texas; and Kashmir Road in Sedona, Arizona. The little town in Virginia was named Lahore in the 19th century, long before partition.
The United States has a long tradition of recognising foreign figures by naming streets after them. The latest on this list is a portion of an avenue in Queens, New York, which was named last week after Pakistan’s national poet, Allama Iqbal.
W. 4th Street in Long Island was also renamed Adeed Fayaz Memorial Way in July this year after an officer of the New York police, originally from Pakistan. He was shot dead in the line of duty in February 2023.
The naming is often done at the request of an immigrant community with a significant presence in the area. That’s how the Jinnah ways and Iqbal Avenue were renamed. Both are situated in neighborhoods that are now known as ‘mini-Pakistan’ because of a large concentration of Pakistanis.
Adrienne Adams, speaker of the New York City Council, said at the renaming ceremony that they named the street after Iqbal because “he is hailed as one of the defining poets, scholars, and leaders of his time”.
Pakistan’s US ambassador Masood Khan, after a visit to the street this week, said that “renaming a street after Allama Iqbal recognises Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage whilst allowing Pakistani American to honour one of the most significant leaders of their country”.
The first thing that a visitor to the area — where the newly renamed streets are — notices is its diversity. Richmond Hill is a commercial and residential neighborhood in the southeastern section of New York’s borough of Queens, which is known as Little Punjab due to its large Punjabi American population. It is home to a density of churches, mosques, synagogues and temples, reflecting the faiths of its residents.
The nearby Jackson Heights neighborhood is the heart of the Desi crowd in New York. There are so many South Asians in this area that it is also called Des in Pardes.
A dhaba, where a small group of Pakistanis were discussing Iqbal’s poetry on the day Ambassador Khan visited the area, is owned by a Pakistani but has a Bhutanese manager. The waiters are from Tibet. Nearby is a 24/7 restaurant, also owned by a Pakistani, where most of the staff hail from Nepal and Bangladesh. And almost all of them are women.
A nearby Bangladeshi restaurant sells Patali Gur (date palm jaggery), also a Bengali winter delicacy, and of course, Ilish maach or Hilsa.
A Buddhist monk walks by, holding a clay pot, as a muezzin gives the call for evening prayers. The aroma of the incense burning in the pot is felt across the street.
“Ours was the first mithai shop in Lahore,” said the manager of a nearby sweet shop. “In 1947, our grandfather moved to Delhi and now we have shops in New Delhi, Mumbai and New York.”
“Patuali, Jamdani, whatever you want,” said Mahmudullah who works at a Bangladeshi Saree shop. “We have the best sarees.”
And there’s no one to challenge his claim as most of the shops that sold Indian Sarees have moved to other locations.
“They have moved up market,” said Mahmudullah. “You will not see many Indians here. They shop in Manhattan now.”
Mahmudullah is right. The languages that most South Asians speak here are Bangladeshi Bangla, with words like monajat (pray) and khairat (charity), and Pakistani Punjabi, which also has more Persian loan words than its Indian sister.
Anshuman Singh, a customer at the Lahori (not its real name) sweet shop said Sikhs had no problem understanding Pakistani Punjabi as they too use many Persian and Arabic words, like Khalsa, Fateh, Arzdas.
“And I have known men named Iqbal Singh but mostly in the pre-partition generation,” he said.
Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2023
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