MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand: New test captain Mohammad Rizwan made 71 and Faheem Ashraf 91 to help Pakistan weather a top-order collapse, then fight back on a day punctuated by lashing rain and hail to reach 239 before their last wicket fell in the last over Monday on the third day of the first cricket test against New Zealand.
Rizwan came to the crease when Pakistan was 52-5 during a morning session in which it lost four wickets for 32 runs. He left when it was 186-7 in the final session, having done as much as a captain can to rescue his team from imminent peril.
With Faheem, who made his highest test score and was the last man out, Rizwan put backbone into the Pakistan innings as it replied to New Zealand’s first innings of 431. Faheem outlasted Rizwan and played some elegant shots, some streaky to accumulate 15 fours and a six and ensure Pakistan avoided a follow on New Zealand likely would not have enforced late in the day.
He carried Pakistan past the follow-on mark of 231 with a four from the bowling of Neil Wagner 15 minutes before stumps which also took him past his previous highest test score of 83.
The seventh wicket partnership of 106 between Rizwan and Faheem lasted 30 overs and begun to look almost unbreakable until a direct hit by Mitchell Santner from mid-wicket ran out Rizwan late in the day. It was unfortunate end for the Pakistan captain who proved his value as he stood in for the injured Babar Azam and who batted for three and a half hours and compiled his fourth half century.
Rizwan and Faheem first had to establish themselves on a pitch which proved too difficult for most of Pakistan’s best batsmen, then keep their composure as three heavy rain showers and an abrupt hail storm interupted their progress.
New Zealand had consolidated its strong position in the match during the first session in which it captured the wickets of Abid Ali (25), Mohammad Abbas (5), Azhar Ali (5) and Haris Sohail (3).
Pakistan resumed at 30-1 and Abid and Abbas defied the bowling for 12 overs before the first wicket of the day fell to Kyle Jamieson. Abbas took 37 balls to get off the mark but performed his role as the resilient nightwatchman.
Abid was the first man out Monday, bowled by Jamieson who first forced him back with a ball which reared just short of a length then beat him with a fuller ball as he hovered on his crease.
Trent Boult ended Abbas’s 79 vigil, bowling around and producing a ball which took the edge and gave Ross Taylor his 150th test catch at slip.
Tim Southee then claimed the wickets of Azhar and Sohail in the same over. Azhar’s nick to wicketkeeper B.J. Watling was too faint for the on-field umpire but couldn’t deceive the television replay and Sohail skewed a drive to Henry Nicholls in the gully.
With Rizwan’s steady example, Pakistan lost only one wicket in the second session which was shortened by a rain break and hailstorm which drove the players from the field just before tea.
Fawad Alam and Rizwan were tested by a barrage of short-pitched balls from Neil Wagner and Fawad succumbed when he hooked and was caught by Watling. Wagner took his full turn at the bowling crese Monday despite suffering a broken toe when batting on the second day.
Faheem came to the last over of the day needing 13 runs for a first test century. He hit out, striking the first ball for four but edged the next to wicketkeeper Watling, leaving the ground to unanimous applause from his teammates.
Pakistan out for 239, avoids follow on in 1st test vs NZ
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Pakistan out for 239, avoids follow on in 1st test vs NZ
- Pakistan past the follow-on mark of 231 with a four from the bowling of Neil Wagner 15 minutes before stumps
- The seventh wicket partnership of 106 between Rizwan and Faheem lasted 30 overs
Pakistan finalizes arrangements for intending Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia
- Pakistan’s month-long pre-Hajj flight operation is due to begin on May 9
- This year’s Hajj pilgrimage is expected to run from June 14 till June 19
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has finalized arrangements to welcome intending Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, the Pakistani religious affairs ministry said on Tuesday, days before the start of the country’s month-long pre-Hajj flight operation.
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and requires every adult Muslim to undertake the journey to the holy Islamic sites in Makkah at least once in their lifetime, if they are financially and physically able.
Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims this year. Of them, 63,805 pilgrims will be performing the pilgrimage under the government scheme, while the rest would be facilitated by private tour operators, according to the Pakistani religious affairs ministry.
“By the grace of Allah Almighty, we are optimistic to a great extent that our pre-Hajj arrangements will ensure a smooth Hajj operation,” said Ahmed Nadeem Khan, joint secretary and director of facilitation and coordination (F&C), at a media briefing.
He said they were making all-out efforts to make the annual Hajj operation hassle-free both in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
The ministry has introduced several new initiatives, including discounted long and short packages, complimentary uniform baggage with QR coding, and essential items like head scarf for women and ihraam belts for men, according to the official.
Additionally, a complimentary Hajj SIM card with data and minutes will ensure connectivity throughout the journey, and the mandatory Hujjaj app will help educate, track and assist pilgrims in performing Hajj rituals for a seamless pilgrimage.
Khan urged the Hajj support staff, including assistants, doctors and paramedics, to deliver their best in extending maximum facilities to the pilgrims, saying their performance would be minutely evaluated and no negligence would be tolerated.
He said the religious affairs ministry was gradually taking its Hajj operation to end-to-end automation and the launch of the Hujjaj app was part of it.
“We have completed 70-80 percent automation, and the rest will be done in due course,” the official said, adding that up to 90 percent of intending pilgrims have been communicated through the app information about their flights, accommodation, vaccination and visa approval.
Khan said over 8,000 Pakistanis had so far contacted the ministry through the app to discuss their issues regarding the spiritual journey, which have been cleared within no time and a few were at various stages of resolution.
Pakistan’s month-long pre-Hajj flight operation is slated to begin on May 9 to ferry pilgrims to the revered destinations.
This year’s pilgrimage is expected to run from June 14 till June 19.
Pakistan acknowledges sanctions risk for Iran gas pipeline, rejects foreign ‘dictation’
- Ishaq Dar says Pakistan will prioritize its own interest over the issue as a sovereign state
- The pipeline project has faced delays for several reasons including funding challenges
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Tuesday his country understood the sanctions risk involved in pursuing the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, though he said it would not take “dictation” from other states and follow its own interests.
Earlier this year in March, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu told a Congressional hearing that President Joe Biden’s administration was trying to prevent the construction of the pipeline project that was agreed between the two countries in 2009.
His statement followed Pakistan’s decision to build an 80-kilometer pipeline segment from its border with Iran to the port city of Gwadar in the first phase.
Recent media reports also indicated the government was deliberating over engaging an international law firm to seek US sanctions waiver to implement the project.
“We are not concerned with what other countries say about the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project,” Dar said during a media talk in Islamabad. “We must prioritize our own interests, honor our commitments, and make decisions based on Pakistan’s interests.”
“We won’t be dictated to, nor will we allow anyone to veto our decisions,” he continued. “Pakistan is a sovereign nation, and we expect others to respect our sovereignty just as we respect theirs. The government will make the final decision on the IP gas pipeline.”
The deputy prime minister said the Iranian president visited Pakistan with sincerity, and the government conducted meetings and dialogues with him in a cordial environment.
“This project has long-standing complications, including sanctions from other countries, but we will prioritize Pakistan’s interests when making decisions about it,” he added.
The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, known as the Peace Pipeline, has faced significant delays in the past due to several reasons that include funding challenges.
Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif also said last month his country had the right to buy gas at competitive rates from neighboring countries amid its ongoing economic problems.
Ex-PM Khan party reiterates call for judicial probe into May 2023 violence in Pakistan
- Khan’s brief arrest on May 9, 2023 saw hundreds of his supporters allegedly ransack state buildings and vandalize public property
- A Pakistani military spokesman on Tuesday said it was important to punish May 9 perpetrators to restore trust in the justice system
ISLAMABAD: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) opposition party on Tuesday reiterated its call for a judicial probe into violent protests that hit Pakistan on May 9, 2023 over Khan’s brief arrest in a graft case.
Khan’s arrest saw hundreds of his supporters allegedly pour into the streets across the country, ransacking military and other properties. Thousands were arrested in the aftermath and some were tried by military courts after the authorities promised to bring the perpetrators and instigators of the violence to justice.
The PTI says the May 9 incident was a “false flag operation” and the subsequent crackdown was aimed at keeping Khan, who was ousted from power in a parliamentary no-trust vote in April 2022, and his party from returning to power in Pakistan’s national election held in February this year, after being delayed for months.
Asked about the claims, a Pakistani military spokesman said on Tuesday the May 9 incident was not related to the military alone, but to the whole of Pakistan, noting that the protesters had attacked military installations, burnt the residence of the founder of Pakistan and vandalized martyrs’ monuments.
The spokesman, Maj-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said the perpetrators and facilitators of the riots needed to be brought to justice as per the constitution and law of the land to preserve the credibility and faith in the country’s justice system.
“See, all this what he has said, we challenge him on these things that all what he is saying, its proofs should be brought before the people,” Raoof Hasan, the PTI information secretary, said at a press conference.
“And the easiest way for that is, what we started demanding immediately after May 9, that an independent, transparent judicial inquiry be instituted, which established who committed the crime and who were behind them.”
Last week, the PTI also issued a circular and urged party members to hold rallies in every provincial assembly constituency to commemorate the May 9 protests, citing directives from Khan who has been in jail since August last year.
Khan, 71, was ousted in 2022 after falling out with Pakistan’s powerful military leaders who many say backed him into power in 2018. In opposition, he waged an unprecedented campaign of defiance against the military establishment which has directly ruled the South Asian nation for nearly half of its history.
Arguably Pakistan’s most popular politician, Khan says the cases against him are “politically motivated,” aimed at keeping him from returning to power. The military denies it.
Pakistani conglomerate Engro looks to go global, main investor says
- The expansion plans include looking at telecom infrastructure in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia
- Engro Corp. has a market capitalization of $694 million on the Pakistan Stock Exchange and assets of $2.9 billion
KARACHI: Pakistan’s largest conglomerate, Engro Corp, is looking to expand into new markets, including the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa, the chemicals-to-energy company’s largest investor said on Tuesday.
Speaking to Reuters in a rare interview, Samad Dawood, vice chairman of Dawood Hercules Corp, which owns 40 percent of Engro Corp, said the company was also considering global liquefied natural gas (LNG) opportunities as well as hydrogen energy.
The expansion plans include looking at telecoms infrastructure in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, while it is looking at Africa to expand its fertilizer businesses, he said.
Engro Corp. has a market capitalization of 193 billion rupees ($694 million) on the Pakistan Stock Exchange and assets of 802 billion rupees ($2.9 billion), according to public data.
The group has businesses across multiple sectors in Pakistan, including energy, fertilizer, telecommunications and consumer goods.
It owns 56 percent of Pakistan’s first LNG terminal, Engro Elengy Terminal Pakistan, which was set up in the southern city of Karachi in 2015. Dutch energy logistics giant Royal Vopak owns the remaining 44 percent.
The terminal fulfils 15 percent of Pakistan’s natural gas demand.
Dawood said Engro will continue to invest in the energy sector despite having sold its coal-based assets, and was exploring new avenues for sustainable energy production.
He said the company was talking to technology providers in the hydrogen energy sector to figure out how to use ammonia as an energy transition solution.
Dawood added that Pakistan was far from being energy-secure and there were plenty of opportunities to invest further in the power sector.
Pakistan has moved toward reliance on LNG after its own domestic gas supplies dwindled fast as consumption in the industrial and residential sectors increased.
’DREAMER’
Dawood said the global push was inspired by his late elder brother Shahzada, who perished last year in the ill-fated Titan’s voyage to explore the Titanic wreckage — an accident that made global headlines when the deep-sea submersible imploded and killed all five people on board.
“He (Shahzada) was much more of a dreamer and pushing us to become more international and building that curiosity and engaging with the outside world,” Dawood said.
The Dawood family also faced a protracted legal ordeal in Pakistan where the company was accused of getting illegal favors from the government.
The case, which lasted years, finally ended last week with the country’s accountability watchdog dropping the case entirely. Dawood says the matter hurt the family deeply and even impacted their businesses and potential investors.
The company’s plans to push ahead are taking shape, Dawood said. On Monday, the boards of Engro and Dawood Hercules approved in principle a restructuring plan to allow them more capital flexibility.
Dawood said the restructuring will allow for participation in “opportunities that the entire economy provides,” adding that the boards wanted the flow of capital to be completely seamless between the two organizations.
He said Engro would be able to expand its investment mandate to include exploring opportunities created by multinational corporations divesting from Pakistan’s troubled markets.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince expected to visit Pakistan ‘any time’ during May — FM Dar
- The development comes after a flurry of high-level engagements between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in recent weeks
- Both countries have been working closely to increase bilateral trade and investment in several diverse sectors
ISLAMABAD: Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, on Tuesday said the much-awaited visit of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Islamabad was on the cards and could materialize “any time” during the month of May.
The statement follows a series of high-level engagements between the two countries, including the visits of Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif to the Kingdom and a visit of Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan to Islamabad.
The visit by the Saudi Crown Prince would mark his first trip to Pakistan in the last five years. His previous visit took place in February 2019 during the tenure of former prime minister Imran Khan.
“That visit [of Saudi Crown Prince] is due, which will happen any time during May,” Dar told reporters at a media briefing in Islamabad. “We will receive the final dates from there [Saudi Arabia] and as a foreign ministry, we are in touch and his visit as of now is on the cards.”
The Saudi Crown Prince accepted PM Sharif’s invitation to visit Pakistan during their meeting in Ramadan, according to Dar.
“He [Saudi Crown Prince] said that he will visit Pakistan after the initial government-to-government (G2G) and business-to-business (B2B) meetings,” the Pakistani foreign minister said.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been working closely in recent weeks to increase bilateral trade and investment deals, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last month reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to expedite an investment package of $5 billion.
PM Sharif discussed increasing bilateral trade and investment in his meeting with the Crown Prince during Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia on April 6-8, according to Dar.
It was followed by the visit of a Saudi ministerial delegation, led by FM Prince Faisal, to Islamabad on April 15-16, during which Pakistan presented the Saudi delegation with an investment menu that was “meticulously prepared after extensive efforts.”
Following Sharif’s talks with the Crown Prince and other top Saudi officials in Riyadh, a 50-member, high-level delegation, led by the Kingdom’s Assistant Minister of Investment Ibrahim Al-Mubarak, arrived in Pakistan on Sunday to explore investment opportunities in the South Asian country.
“The Saudi Assistant Investment Minister has brought prominent private Saudi companies for B2B meetings as government could only involve in major projects such as Reko Diq, petrochemicals and mining,” he said, adding that his government had aligned Pakistani companies for matchmaking.
“While bilateral trade volume will be bolstered through the private sectors of both sides, the government will facilitate this process as demonstrated by our recent efforts.”
Dar said Pakistan’s future looked “promising” due to the rapid progress made on the bilateral trade and investment agenda, on the directives of the Saudi Crown Prince.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense, and cultural ties. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as a top source of remittances to the cash-strapped South Asian country.
