Latest News from Pakistan News Express
There have been protests in Pakistan against massive hikes in the price of electricity and oil. The country is in the middle of both a cost of living crisis and an economic crunch, part of conditions to secure a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund. Kamran Yousaf reports from Islamabad.
Source: TRTworld.com
The Pakistan women’s team secured a five-wicket win against South Africa in the opening T20I at the National Bank Cricket Arena, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The tension-filled match concluded on the final ball with Aliya Riaz hitting the winning runs, completing the highest successful T20I chase to date for Pakistan.
It is worth mentioning that this marked the first time the Women in Green successfully chased a target exceeding 150 runs in a T20I.
Despite the early loss of the opening batter, Shawaal Zulfiqar, in the third over of the innings, the team maintained a positive mindset and stayed ahead of the required run rate.
Four of the five wickets lost by Pakistan were due to runouts, with Sidra Ameen, Bismah Maroof, Nida Dar, and Muneeba Ali all having to return to the pavilion for this reason.
Bismah Maroof was the top performer for the national team, contributing 37 runs off 30 balls, while Sidra Ameen followed closely with 33 runs off 31 balls.
Batting first, South Africa’s openers, Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits, laid a solid foundation with an 85-run partnership until Wolvaardt was bowled by Nashra Sandhu.
The outstanding knock of 78 runs from Tazmin Brits, featuring 10 boundaries, helped South Africa reach a challenging total of 150 for three at the end of the innings.
Source: ProPakistani
Former captain, Mohammad Hafeez, has made a big claim about the Indian team ahead of the high-octane encounter against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023 in Sri Lanka.
Speaking to the media, Hafeez said that, despite being a formidable force in cricket, India has yet to master the art of handling pressure in the knockout stages of major events.
The former all-rounder further added that while the team excels in bilateral series, their performance in ICC or ACC events in the past decade has been less than impressive.
“We have seen in the recent past that the Indian cricket team could not handle the pressure of knockout stages in the ICC events and a few other big-ticket events,” Hafeez said.
Responding to questions regarding the upcoming Pakistan-India match, Mohammad Hafeez highlighted the importance of mental strength in such high-pressure encounters.
The 42-year-old cricketer stated that cricket is ultimately a physical sport, but mental toughness plays a crucial role in India-Pakistan encounters, particularly in big events.
Mohammad Hafeez remarked that players are becoming mentally tougher, but managing emotions and distractions is vital for success in such high-stakes matches.
Hafeez stressed the importance of mental health in preparing for key games like these, indicating that it could be the determining factor in who emerges victorious.
Source: ProPakistani
Punjab Textbook Board has announced that it will no longer be providing free textbooks to 2.5 million students in the next academic year.
The decision was made due to the Punjab government’s failure to pay the board’s dues of Rs. 10 billion. It is a discouraging development that will have a major impact on the education of these children.
Every year, students in government schools in Punjab receive free books worth Rs. 3,000 per student. The initiative has been an essential support for families who cannot afford the educational expenses of their children.
The discontinuation of free books means that two and a half million children from government schools will suffer in the coming academic year, including their parents who are already grappling with the rising cost of living in the country.
Source: ProPakistani
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has raised eyebrows by appointing staff in the United Kingdom (UK) despite a severe financial crisis and a three-year ban on direct flights to the country.
The country manager is set to receive an annual salary of £70,000, while the passenger sales manager and finance manager will earn £55,000 each. Additionally, a manager at the Manchester station was appointed with an annual salary of £55,000, along with other perks.
PIA’s spokesperson defended the airline’s actions, stating that they continue to operate flights in the UK through code sharing with Turkish Airlines, generating an annual revenue of £14 million. The spokesperson emphasized that a mere 1.8% of these earnings go towards PIA staff in the UK.
They expressed optimism regarding the resumption of direct flights between Pakistan and the UK, citing the appointments as a preparation for the anticipated reopening.
This news comes on the heels of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) freezing 26 bank accounts of PIA over unpaid taxes exceeding Rs. 8 billion. While FBR claimed that PIA had pledged to pay Rs. 2 billion in dues in August, the airline failed to meet this commitment. Nevertheless, the PIA spokesperson assured that this will not disrupt the airline’s flight operations.
Source: ProPakistani