Pakistani forces kill 13 ‘Indian-sponsored militants’ in separate engagements — military

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced the 17-member squad for the upcoming tri-nation series and Asia Cup scheduled to be held in the UAE from Aug. 29-Sept. 28, with Salman Ali Agha set to lead the squad in the shortest format of the game. 

Pakistan will play a tri-nation series featuring Afghanistan and the UAE at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium from Aug. 29 to Sept. 7. The series will serve as preparation for the Green Shirts ahead of the Asia Cup tournament in September, which will also include Asian giants India and Sri Lanka. 

“The eight-team ACC Asia Cup T20I tournament will be staged in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from 9 to 28 September,” the PCB said on its website. “Pakistan are placed in Group ‘A’ alongside India, Oman and UAE.”

Pakistan’s former opening T20 batting duo Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been dropped from the squad again while pacer Naseem Shah will also not feature in the limited-overs series and tournament. 

Pakistan have selected two full-time spinners in the form of Abrar Ahmed and Sufyan Moqim while left-arm pacer Salman Mirza has also been included in the squad. 

SQUAD:

Salman Ali Agha (captain) Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jr., Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufyan Moqim.

TRI-NATION SERIES SCHEDULE 

Aug. 29: Afghanistan v Pakistan

Aug. 30: UAE v Pakistan

Sept. 1: UAE v Afghanistan

Sept. 2: Pakistan v Afghanistan

Sept. 4: Pakistan v UAE

Sept. 5: Afghanistan v UAE

Sept. 7: Final

ACC Asia Cup T20 2025 

Sept. 12: Oman v Pakistan

Sept. 14: India v Pakistan

Sept. 17: UAE v Pakistan

Sept. 20-26: Super Fours fixtures

Sept. 28: Final

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned that the monsoon activity in the country is likely to “intensify” from today, Sunday, with torrential rains already killing over 300 in the last three days in the northern regions. 

Raging hill torrents swept away dozens of people in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Swat, Buner, Bajaur, Torghar, Mansehra, Shangla and Battagram districts since Friday. According to the National Disaster Management Authority’s (NDMA) latest situation report, at least 645 people have been killed in rain-related incidents since June 26, while 905 have been injured. 

Of these, KP has reported the highest deaths at 383, Punjab 164, the northern Gilgit-Baltistan and Sindh with 28 deaths each, Balochistan 29, Azad Kashmir 14 and Islamabad eight casualties. As per the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) KP, 313 people have been killed in the last 72 hours and 156 have been injured. 

“According to Met Office, strong monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal are continuously penetrating in the country,” the PMD said on its website on Saturday.

“Low Pressure System (LPA) over the Bay of Bengal is likely to move westward from 17th August and intensify this monsoon activity. A westerly wave is also present over the country under the influence of these meteorological conditions,” it added. 

The PMD said widespread rain with thundershowers is expected in KP’s Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Buner, Malakand, Bajaur, Mohmand, Kohat, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, Hangu, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Waziristan, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan districts from Aug. 17-19.

It also forecast widespread rain with thundershowers in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Wazirabad, Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Narowal cities from Aug. 17-19. 

It warned of rain and thundershowers in various parts of Sindh and Balochistan from Aug. 17-22. 

Rains have wreaked havoc in KP in the last three days with rescuers, backed by boats and helicopters, working for hours in the northwestern province and other areas to save stranded residents and tourists as ambulances transported bodies to hospitals.

The NDMA on Saturday issued an advisory to limit tourism in mountainous areas after the death toll from torrential rains and floods in Pakistan’s northern regions surged to 332 in the last three days.

Separately, the KP administration declared an emergency in districts affected by rains and flash floods.

“A notification has been issued stating that the emergency will remain in effect from August 15 to August 31, 2025, in the vulnerable districts,” the PDMA said in a statement on Saturday.

“The emergency will be enforced in the districts of Swat, Buner, Bajaur, Torghar, Mansehra, Shangla, Lower Dir, Upper Dir and Battagram, which have been affected by rains and flooding,” it added.

The deluges have evoked memories of 2022 when catastrophic monsoon rains and glacial melt submerged a third of the country, killing more than 1,700 people and causing over $30 billion in damages.

Pakistan, which contributes less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change.

Scientists say rising temperatures are making South Asia’s monsoon rains more erratic and intense, increasing the risk of flash floods and landslides in mountainous regions like KP and Gilgit-Baltistan, where at least 20 people have died in similar incidents and several are missing.