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Politics in sport diagnosed as Pakistan cricket’s problem

Pakistan’s dire recent performances in international cricket have sparked debate over the invasion of politics in sport, with claims nepotism at the top is sabotaging success on the field. Pakistan last week fell to eighth , their worst Test ranking in nearly six decades, after a shock 2-0 home series defeat to Bangladesh. It was the 10th winless home Test in a row for the country and came after humiliating early exits from both the 50-over and T20 World Cups in the past year. The current Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman is Mohsin Naqvi, who has a second full-time job as interior minister in a nation grappling with a surge in militant attacks . In the past two years Pakistan cricket has ploughed through four coaches, three board heads, three captains and numerous formats of the domestic competition — instability experts say rides on the whims of politicians. “This has a knock-on effect on team performance,” said cricket journalist and former PCB media manager Ahsan Ifti

Karsaz accident driver denied bail in drug case

A judicial magistrate on Monday denied post-arrest bail to Natasha Danish — the driver booked in the Karsaz accident — in a case filed against her by the police after her medical report showed she was under the influence of methamphetamine (crystal meth). On August 19, a speeding Toyota Land Cruiser, driven by Danish, hit three motorcycles and another car before overturning on the city’s Karsaz Road. Sixty-year-old Imran Arif and his 22-year-old daughter Amna were killed in the accident, while three others were wounded. The driver was arrested and booked for manslaughter charges. The police then said that Danish’s medical report — conducted upon the request of the victims’ counsel — showed she was under the influence of crystal meth. Consequently, a separate first information report (FIR) was registered by the police against Danish under Section 11 (drinking liable to tazir ) of the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order (PEHO) of 1979 . Danish was granted bail last week af

Women ride Pakistan’s economic crisis into the workplace

Amina Sohail veers through heavy traffic to pick up her next passenger — the sight of a woman riding a motorcycle drawing stares in Karachi. The 28-year-old is the first woman in her family to enter the workforce, a pattern emerging in urban households coming under increasing financial pressure in Pakistan. “I don’t focus on people, I don’t speak to anyone or respond to the hooting, I do my work,” said Sohail, who joined a local ride-hailing service at the start of the year, transporting women through the dusty back streets of the city. “Before, we would be hungry, now we get to eat at least two to three meals a day,” she added. The South Asian nation is locked in a cycle of political and economic crises, dependent on IMF bailouts and loans from friendly countries to service its debt. Prolonged inflation has forced up the price of basic groceries such as tomatoes by 100 per cent. Electricity and gas bills have risen by 300pc compared to July last year, according to official dat

Islamabad sealed as PTI set to flex muscles near Sangjani

ISLAMABAD: As the PTI finalises its preparations for the Sept 8 power show on the outskirts of the federal capital, the capital police have blocked almost all entry points of the city amid intelligence reports about a ‘medium-level’ terrorism threat in light of the political gathering. According to a security plan, there is a likelihood that some miscreants may create a law and order situation in Islamabad, in this regard containers are placed in the capital at various places, including all the entry points. The 21 points blocked with containers are Nicholson’s Monument, New Margalla Road turn on G.T Road, Sangjani Toll Plaza, Water Tanki on Margalla Road, New Margalla Road Loop opposite F-10/2, 26 Number Chongi, Zero Point, Faisal Chowk, Khayban Chowk, Rawat T-Cross, Khanna Bridge, Tramri Chowk, Shahpur Road Turn, U-Turn on Murree Road, Bridge on Murree Road near Traffic Office, Faizabad, 9th Avenue, Gandum Godown, Golra Mor Haji Camp, Motorway Old Toll Plaza, and Tarnol Phattak,

33 suspected terrorists arrested across Punjab in intelligence-based operations: CTD

The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) said on Saturday it had arrested 33 suspected terrorists in 475 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) conducted across the province in the past month. The counterterrorism efforts come amid heightened security concerns across the country. Pakistan experienced an increase in terrorist attacks as a total of 59 terrorist attacks occurred countrywide in August compared to 38 attacks in the previous month, according to a digital database maintained by the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), an Islamabad-based think-tank. In a press release issued today, the Punjab CTD said it had interrogated 475 suspects during the IBOs and seized various items, including explosives, weapons and banned texts. “During these IBOs… 33 suspects belonging to defunct organisations were arrested,” the statement said. The CTD detailed that the groups included Fitna Al Khwarij (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan), Daish (also known as the militant Islamic State gro

Boeing’s Starliner returns home without astronauts

Boeing’s beleaguered Starliner made its long-awaited return to Earth on Saturday without the astronauts who rode it up to the International Space Station (ISS), after NASA ruled the trip back too risky. After years of delays, Starliner had launched in June for what was meant to be a roughly weeklong test mission — a final shakedown before it could be certified to rotate crew to and from the orbital laboratory. But unexpected thruster malfunctions and helium leaks on the way to the ISS had derailed those plans, and NASA had decided it was safer to bring back crewmates Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on a rival SpaceX Crew Dragon though they will have to wait until February 2025. The gumdrop-shaped Boeing capsule touched down softly at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 4:01am GMT on Saturday, its descent slowed by parachutes and cushioned by airbags, having departed the ISS around six hours earlier. As it streaked red-hot across the night sky, ground teams reported h