MULTAN: Test encounters between Pakistan and England have often been defined by player-on-player showdowns which inject added drama into the already heated confrontation.
Ahead of their three-match series starting Monday in Multan, AFP Sports looks at four key match-ups set to entertain:
Pakistan’s pace spearhead was sidelined with a knee injury when England inflicted a 3-0 clean sweep in 2022. This time he has a chance to halt England’s juggernauts led by opener Duckett.
The left-hander smashed a brilliant century on the Test’s opening day two years ago as England amassed a first-day world record of 506-4 — blazing a trail for Pakistan’s first-ever home whitewash.
Duckett has proven capable of upsetting any bowler with his aggression straight out of the gate.
But Shaheen’s lethal yorkers and swing with a new ball regularly put brakes on the scoring rate and secure wickets up front.
Watch out as the pair tussle for control.
Two years ago, Ahmed was just 18 when he became the youngest England bowler to take a five-wicket haul on debut against Pakistan in Karachi.
Now matured, he is likely to face down Pakistan star batter Azam — one of his victims back in 2022.
Ahmed’s googly could prolong Azam’s run drought, with Pakistani looking to rediscover his touch to counter the wiley spinner.
Azam quit his white-ball captaincy this week to focus on his role at the crease.
His showdown with Ahmed will be the first test of whether he can return to form.
Root has a phenomenal record as England’s top batter — soon set to break former skipper Alistair Cook’s career record of more than 12,000 Test runs.
But in the 2022 tour, it was spinner Abrar who dismissed Root in each innings of the second Test in Multan for low scores of 8 and 21.
Nonetheless, Root holds the record for most hundreds for England with 34, achieving half of them over the past four years.
Pakistan will rely on Abrar for slow and turning wickets. A spin duel between the pair will be a clash to watch.
The Stokes-Shah showdown lit up the Twenty20 World Cup final in Melbourne in November 2022, with the batter surviving Shah’s lethal spell and hitting a fighting half-century to secure England’s triumph.
But barely a month later the rivalry was renewed in Rawalpindi stadium as Shah bowled Stokes for 41 on the day when England piled up its record haul.
Shah missed the next two Tests with a shoulder injury. But when the three-match series starts next week he will have more experience and better fitness — although the contest could be delayed as Stokes races to overcome a hamstring niggle in time for the first Test.
If he’s ready, Stokes will have to overcome a fiery Shah looking to push him to the hilt.
Four key match-ups in Pakistan-England Test series
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Four key match-ups in Pakistan-England Test series
- The Stokes-Shah showdown lit up the Twenty20 World Cup final in Melbourne in November 2022, with the batter surviving Shah’s lethal spell
- But barely a month later the rivalry was renewed in Rawalpindi stadium as Shah bowled Stokes for 41 on the day when England piled record haul
Balochistan says provincial action plan against separatists ready amid spike in violence
- Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti says ethnic insurgent groups are dragging the Baloch nation ‘into a futile war’
- He maintains security forces are operating in ‘grey zones’ where it is hard to distinguish between friend and foes
ISLAMABAD: Amid a renewed wave of separatist violence in Balochistan, Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti said Wednesday a provincial action plan for peace had been formulated, as he warned of the evolving and asymmetric nature of the security threat facing the province.
The statement came during the 16th National Workshop on Balochistan in Quetta, where Bugti addressed senior civil and military participants. His remarks followed a recent spike in attacks by ethnic Baloch insurgents, who have escalated their decades-long campaign by launching coordinated strikes on security forces, government officials and non-local workers.
The unrest continues despite repeated crackdowns and military operations, complicating stability efforts in a province critical to the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“A provincial action plan for peace in Balochistan has been formed,” Bugti was quoted in an official statement circulated after the event. “Our response mechanisms have been strengthened, and terrorists cannot hold even an inch of ground permanently.”
While acknowledging that the province has long suffered from misgovernance and uneven development, Bugti rejected that unemployment and underdevelopment alone were driving unrest.
“Those who fight the state do so not because of jobs or education but because they dream of a separate state based on Baloch identity,” he continued. “This is an intelligence-driven drone war against Pakistan.”
He added that the insurgents were attempting to push the Baloch people into an unwinnable conflict.
“The Baloch nation is being dragged into a futile war,” he said, warning that acts of violence, whether in the name of nationalism or religion, would be treated the same.
“We will embrace those disillusioned with the state and address their grievances, but those who kill innocents and want to break the country cannot be engaged outside the constitution,” he added.
The chief minister described the provincial security landscape as increasingly opaque, saying Pakistani forces were operating in “grey zones” where it was difficult “to distinguish between friend and foe.”
On the issue of enforced disappearances, a deeply contentious point in Balochistan’s political discourse, Bugti said that comprehensive legislation had already been passed.
Families of missing persons and human rights groups accuse state institutions of arbitrary detentions and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan.
Pakistani authorities have frequently rejected these claims, calling them “baseless allegations.”
Reiterating that the fight against separatist violence is not just the state’s burden but “a war that concerns every Pakistani,” Bugti said the state would remain firm against any attempt to destabilize the province.
Pakistani officials push for unified climate-health strategy under comprehensive national framework
- Stakeholders advocate One Health Pakistan initiative, linking human, animal and environmental health
- The meeting in Islamabad says pollution, biodiversity loss are accelerating zoonotic disease outbreaks
ISLAMABAD: Senior Pakistani officials on Tuesday urged stronger cross-sector coordination to address the country’s rising climate-linked health risks, as stakeholders gathered in Islamabad to reaffirm support for the One Health Pakistan initiative, a national framework linking human, animal and environmental health.
The meeting was held at COMSTECH and co-hosted by the Health Services Academy and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination. It brought together officials from the health, environment and development sectors, along with representatives from the World Health Organization, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, and World Wide Fund for Nature.
The session focused on building a climate-resilient health workforce and integrated response systems for pandemic preparedness.
“We must reaffirm our collective commitment to the One Health Pakistan initiative,” said Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Health Dr. Nelson Azeem. “The challenges we face are interlinked, and so must be our response.”
Other speakers warned that unchecked pollution, biodiversity loss and weak institutional coordination were accelerating zoonotic disease outbreaks and undermining early warning systems.
Participants proposed the creation of dedicated One Health Units within provincial and federal departments to streamline disease surveillance and climate-health response planning, potentially funded through Annual Development Plans, Public Sector Development Program or international pandemic preparedness programs.
Those present also agreed to turn dialogue into concrete action by strengthening inter-agency coordination, investing in integrated surveillance systems and scaling up climate-resilient health planning nationwide.
US says Pakistan to attend bilateral talks in Washington but gives no details
- Announcement comes as political channels have reactivated between the two sides in recent months
- Pakistan’s finance chief also hinted this week at ‘leadership-level’ announcements by the two countries
ISLAMABAD: A senior US State Department official said Tuesday Pakistan will participate in a bilateral meeting in Washington, but declined to say whether the United States would play any role in mediating longstanding tensions between Pakistan and India, particularly over Kashmir.
The comment came in response to a question at a news briefing about whether Washington’s push for direct communication between India and Pakistan — such as on the Indus Waters Treaty — would also apply to more contentious issues like Kashmir.
Pakistan and India had a four-day military standoff in May that ended with a US-brokered ceasefire. Washington later announced that both countries had agreed to meet at a neutral venue to discuss outstanding issues.
Pakistan welcomed the proposal, but India, which has long opposed third-party involvement, rejected it.
“We have Pakistan who is going to be here for a bilat, and I’ll be participating in that,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said during the briefing, without elaborating on the schedule or the agenda. “I’m looking forward to that as well.”
Bruce did not directly answer the question on Kashmir, instead offering a general comment about addressing difficult issues.
The briefing came weeks after a rare one-on-one lunch hosted by former President Donald Trump for Pakistan’s military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, at the White House on June 18. No civilian Pakistani officials were present at the meeting.
Trump later credited both Munir and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “acting responsibly” and preventing a potential regional catastrophe.
India has denied any US role in the ceasefire, calling it a bilateral decision between New Delhi and Islamabad, though Trump has continued to claim credit for stopping the conflict.
On Tuesday, he reiterated separately that he “stopped the recent war” between the two countries and claimed five planes were shot down during the fighting.
While political channels between Washington and Islamabad have reactivated in recent weeks, the two sides are also engaged in trade talks after Trump imposed 29 percent “reciprocal tariffs” on Pakistan in April.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, who is currently in Washington, said both countries are working to shift their relationship from one focused on trade to one anchored in long-term investment.
Speaking after meetings with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Aurangzeb said the two sides had identified priority sectors including minerals, mining, artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency regulation.
He also hinted at forthcoming “leadership-level” announcements in the coming days.
Pakistan sentences eight prominent Imran Khan aides for 2023 unrest
- Those sentenced include Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mehmoodur Rashid and Umar Cheema
- The court acquitted PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi who is in custody in other cases
LAHORE: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced eight senior members of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party to 10 years in prison late on Tuesday over riots that targeted military sites following Khan’s 2023 arrest, their lawyer said.
Khan is on trial on similar charges, being tried separately. The government accuses him and other leaders of inciting the May 9, 2023, protests, during which demonstrators attacked military and government buildings, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi and the residence of a senior commander in Lahore.
The prosecution is still presenting witnesses in Khan’s proceedings, and Tuesday’s verdict does not directly affect his case.
The sentences, issued in a jail trial in Lahore, are among a series of prosecutions involving Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Defense lawyer Burhan Moazzam said they would appeal.
“It is surprising that six people were acquitted while eight were convicted, even though they were all charged under the same allegations,” he said.
The case relates to one of several incidents stemming from the May 9 unrest, involving alleged incitement during attacks near a major intersection in Lahore. Moazzam said separate trials were ongoing in connection with other incidents that day.
Those sentenced include senior PTI figures who held positions in Khan’s Punjab government: Yasmin Rashid, a former provincial health minister; Ejaz Chaudhry, a senator; Mehmoodur Rashid, a former housing minister; and Umar Sarfraz Cheema, a former provincial governor and aide to Khan.
The court also acquitted PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi who is in custody in connection with other cases, and it was not immediately clear whether the acquittal would lead to his release.
Commenting on the verdict, junior law minister Aqeel Malik told local media the decision was “in line with the law and the constitution.”
Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in 2022, remains in prison facing multiple cases, including charges of corruption, contempt and disclosure of official secrets. He denies wrongdoing and says the cases are politically motivated. The military denies targeting PTI.
Authorities say the May 9 violence caused billions in damage and led to over 3,000 arrests in Punjab.
Last train to Zhob: Balochistan’s historic narrow-gauge railway fades into silence
- Once the longest such route in British India, the Bostan-Zhob line now lies in rust and memory
- Locals mourn loss of junction that once connected trade, lives and dreams in Pakistan’s frontier province
BOSTAN: Until four decades ago, the Bostan Junction Railway Station was a place of industry and movement: steam whistles echoed in the mountain air, porters loaded freight and children raced along its narrow-gauge tracks.
Located about 30 kilometers north of Quetta in the Takatu mountain range, Bostan once linked Pakistan’s rugged west to a vast colonial network of steel and steam.
Today, the station lies silent. Carriages rust in the sun. Tracks are buried beneath dust and weeds. The station buildings, once bustling with workers and traders, are mostly empty.
Built under British rule, the Bostan-Zhob narrow-gauge line was commissioned in 1919 and, by 1929, stretched 294 kilometers to the border town of Zhob. It wound through ten remote stations, including Kan Mehtarzai, the highest railway station in Pakistan at 2,224 meters above sea level.
While the rest of the subcontinent was dominated by broad-gauge lines, Balochistan’s unforgiving mountainous terrain required something lighter, cheaper and more flexible.
Narrow-gauge rail was the solution — and Bostan became its hub.
“The first 74.7 kilometers were completed in January 1921, connecting Bostan with Hindubagh [now Muslim Bagh],” said Aminullah Khan, the current Station Master at Bostan Junction.
“There used to be large offices here with loading and unloading operations. Nearly 500 to 1,000 railway employees worked here in different departments, but today, only four employees work at this station and the rest of the offices are closed.”
The line carried both freight and passengers. British authorities used it to transport chromite ore from the mines in Hindubagh to Bostan, where it was transferred to broad-gauge trains for shipment to Karachi via Quetta.
The Bostan-Zhob line continued operating well after Pakistan’s independence in 1947 but was eventually shut down in 1985. Pakistan Railways cited mounting financial losses and the difficulty of maintaining the remote infrastructure.
“It was consistently running at a loss,” said Dr. Irfan Ahmed Baig, a Quetta-based academic and author of Half-Century Rail.
“There are even records that for one or two years, not a single ticket was sold. People tore up the tracks and took away everything, which faded the remains of the historical track.”
Divisional Superintendent of Pakistan Railways in Quetta, Imran Hayat, confirmed the line’s decline.
“With the government’s policy of promoting roads more than the Railways, the track slowly deteriorated and was finally closed on May 29, 1985,” he said.
“The population of Balochistan province has always been scant, and it cannot be said with clarity that it was a well-patronized passenger route for Railways.”
He added that some rolling stock was deliberately left behind at Bostan at the community’s request. But over the years, theft and scavenging have stripped away much of what remained.
“The stock has slowly been cannibalized by the locals, and theft of metal is a routine practice,” Hayat said.
“The remaining stock available at Bostan Railway Station is in very bad shape and of no use other than scrap value. The local population has no plan for the restoration of the stock, neither have they ever requested nor shown interest in this regard.”
“DISAPPEAR FROM HISTORY”
Others see it differently.
Kaleemullah Kakar, a 45-year-old tribal elder who led a protest in 2023 against the auction of the remaining railway assets, remembers when the station was a part of everyday life.
“I still remember when our school ended, we spent our childhood right on this platform,” he said. “I remember clearly the coal engines on those tracks, just like I can see you now.”
Kakar said over 100 narrow-gauge coaches and several steam engines were removed from Bostan and relocated to major cities.
“Out of nearly 150 historical bogies, Pakistan Railways sold 100 bogies and eight steam engines were taken away and are now standing outside Lahore, Karachi and Quetta Railway Stations,” he said. “Nothing was left for Bostan.”
Only about one kilometer of track remains today. Six damaged carriages sit in the station yard. The shed that once housed locomotives is now an empty shell.
Still, some believe the railway’s legacy, and what little is left of it, deserves to be preserved.
“We deeply wish for the narrow-gauge service to resume because it gave recognition to this town,” said Muhammad Naseem Khan Nasir, a local politician and tribal elder.
“If these remnants vanish, nothing will be left of Bostan. Even its name will disappear from history.”
