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A disclaimer to start with: it was just Oman. So, Pakistan fans, don’t get too excited. I hope most of you won’t, since, traditionally, this team keeps finding new ways to disappoint us. With the emotions now set aside, let’s “objectively” look into what Pakistan came up with in their Asia Cup opener at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday. The boys in green, as expected from them, swept aside the Omanis with utter disdain, continuing the pattern of big sides staying unchallenged by the minnows in the tournament. Like the good old days, the Pakistan bowlers starred. It was a display of what turned out to be unplayable spin bowling for Oman on a slow, sluggish, sticky surface — on which Pakistan failed to consistently put bat on ball as well, but more on that later. Spin-stars Pakistan are ripe with spin resources. They may not be the best in the Asia Cup with Afghanistan and India boasting the services of some proven pros, but they showed they are getting there with ...

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted on Friday to back the “New York Declaration,” a resolution which seeks to breathe new life into the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine — without the involvement of Hamas. The text was adopted by 142 votes in favour, 10 against — including Israel and key ally the United States — and 12 abstentions. It rebukes Hamas and demands that it surrender its weapons. Although Israel has criticised UN bodies for nearly two years over their failure to rebuke Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, the declaration, presented by France and Saudi Arabia, leaves no ambiguity. Formally called the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, the text states that “Hamas must free all hostages” and that the UN General Assembly (UNGA) condemns “the attacks committed by Hamas against civilians on October 7”. It also calls for “collective action to end the war in...

ISLAMABAD: In a landmark judgement with far-reaching implications for women’s rights under Islamic family laws, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that a woman’s right to maintenance (Nafaqa) was neither contingent upon consummation or ‘Rukhsati’ (bridal departure) nor is it subject to her husband’s discretion. “It flows unconditionally from the solemnisation of a valid marriage and constitutes a binding legal duty,” observed Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah in his decision on an appeal by Ambreen Akram. She had challenged the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) verdict of April 28, 2015, which turned down her plea for maintenance because the marriage was not consummated. “In essence, the only legitimate ground for suspending this obligation (maintenance) arises where the husband discharges a high burden of proof to establish that his wife has wholly and without justification withdrawn from marital relationship, not merely as physical access but encompassing the full spectrum of emotional, resid...

Pakistan’s first-ever all-woman mountaineering expedition has summited Gilgit-Baltistan’s 5,400-metre Bari La peak, it emerged on Thursday. The 10-member expedition comprised Bibi Afzon and Zeeba Batool from GB, Bismah Hasan and Iqra Jillani from Punjab, Madeeha Syed from Sindh, Mona Khan from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Marya Bangash from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Shahreen Khan and Amina Shabbir from Islamabad and Laraib Batool from Balochistan. According to a statement issued today by Alpine Club of Pakistan Vice President Karrar Haidri, history was “written in the high mountains of Pakistan”. He said the first-ever all-woman expedition, organised and sponsored by the Alpine Club, successfully summited Bari La Peak on Wednesday. “With equal representation from all four provinces, GB and AJK, these courageous women came together not just to climb, but to break barriers and prove that Pakistan’s daughters can rise to any peak,” Haidri said. He added that before embarking on their journey, t...

Skipper Litton Das top-scored with 59 as Bangladesh beat a spirited Hong Kong by seven wickets in their first match of the Asia Cup on Thursday. Hong Kong posted 143-7 after Nizakat Khan made 42 in the T20 meeting in Abu Dhabi, where the minnows were invited to bat first. Bangladesh lost two early wickets in their chase to raise Hong Kong’s hopes of an upset, but Litton put on a stand of 95 with Towhid Hridoy, who made an unbeaten 35, to reach 144-3 in 17.4 overs. Litton reached his 50 in 33 balls but fell to medium-pace bowler Ateeq Iqbal before Towhid hit the winning run. It was Hong Kong’s second straight defeat in Group B, which includes Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan beat Hong Kong by 94 runs in the tournament opener. Hong Kong lost two early wickets before Nizakat paired up with Zeeshan Ali, who made 30, in a third-wicket stand of 41. Nizakat then got into another partnership of 46 with skipper Yasim Murtaza, who hit 28 off 19 balls, as the two counter-attacked. B...

ISRAEL’S bombardment of Hamas officials in Doha is more than a military strike. It is a strategic earthquake. On Tuesday, Israeli jets struck a residential compound in Doha, targeting Hamas’s exiled leadership as they met to consider a US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal. Based in Qatar since earlier assassinations forced them abroad, these men make up the group’s political bureau. The targeted leaders survived; others did not. Among the dead were bodyguards, aides and a Qatari officer. A dangerous precedent has been set. For the first time, Israel has carried its campaign far beyond the battlefields of Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran, into the territory of one of the US’s closest Arab partners. For years, Israel has treated its confrontation with Iran and its allies as a roving conflict without frontiers. Hezbollah in Lebanon, the former Assad regime in Syria, Houthi forces in Yemen, even Iranian soil itself — all have felt the reach of Israeli air strikes, assassinations and...

• World rallies around Doha as Trump rebukes Netanyahu, distances himself from attack on Hamas • Pakistan, Algeria and Somalia request emergency Security Council session • MBS, UAE ruler also back Qatar; Canada says will ‘evaluate’ ties with Israel DOHA / ISLAMABAD / JERUSALEM: As the world rallied around Qatar after Israel’s reckless targeting of Hamas leaders on its soil, it’s leader declared that Benjamin Netanyahu had been wasting their time with the mediation process. Doha and Egypt have been instrumental in US-backed att­e­mpts to hammer out a ceas­efire in Gaza, and have been wor­king tirelessly to help sec­ure a deal that would see prisoners being freed on both sides. But despite their best efforts, and great flexibility demonstrated by Hamas, Isra­el has repeatedly moved the goalpost, and ‘ghosted’ neg­o­tiators after the Palesti­nian group agreed to the last draft, already vetted by the US. Speaking to CNN on Wednesday, Qatari PM Sheikh Mohamed bin Abd­ulrahman Al T...

Police on Wednesday arrested 226 individuals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swabi for allegedly resisting a raid and participating in a ‘musical show’. Swabi Deputy Superintendent of Police Ijaz Khan Abazai told Dawn.com : “The number of arrested individuals was 226, and a number of them belonged to various areas outside the district, and the larger issue was that they tore the uniforms of three police personnel when they were resisting the police order to close the show.” He added that the arrested included two members of the transgender community as well. The first information report (FIR) of the incident was registered at the Swabi City Police Station on the complaint of Station House Officer (SHO) Saidul Amin under Sections 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 186 (obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions), 294 (obscene acts in public) and 506 (criminal intimida...

ISLAMABAD: Amid its ongoing crackdown on unlawful content, with 1,372 sites, apps, and social media pages blocked for selling or sharing personal data, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Tuesday claimed that it neither held nor managed subscribers’ data. The PTA said that subscribers’ data remains solely with licensed telecom operators, adding that an initial review indicated the leaked datasets contained family details, travel records, vehicle registrations, and CNIC copies, suggesting that the data was aggregated from multiple external sources, rather than telecom operators. The explanation comes following a report by the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The issue of citizens’ leaked data recently gained attention when the interior ministry formed an inquiry committee to investigate, and the NCCIA established a special investigation team to probe the matter. Sources in the interior ministry said the Joint Task Force (JTF) on ‘Unauthorised Data A...

Azmatullah Omarzai hammered a 20-ball fifty as Afghanistan thrashed Hong Kong by 94 runs in the opening match of the men’s T20 Asia Cup on Tuesday. The 17th edition of the Asia Cup kicked off with the Group ‘B’ match between the two teams which have six-time Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as the other teams in their group Afghanistan elected to bat first in Abu Dhabi and posted 188-6 with opener Sediqullah Atal playing the anchor role with an unbeaten 73. His fifth-wicket partnership of 82 with Omarzai, who hit 53 off 21 balls, including two fours and five sixes, proved key for Afghanistan in the Group B fixture. Afghanistan’s bowlers then combined to keep Hong Kong down to 94-9. Temperatures early on touched 40 degrees Celsius, but it was the humidity in the evening that tested the fitness of the players who took regular drinks breaks. Hong Kong bowlers struck two early blows, but Atal stood firm to put on 51 runs with veteran Mohammad Nabi, who made 33, as the...

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi has said as many as 64 complaints against judges were decided in past one year, while additional 65 complaints are ready to be considered in a meeting of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) — the highest judicial body that holds superior court judges accountable on misconduct — later this month, besides 72 other complaints are under scrutiny. CJP Afridi shared council’s performa­n­­ce during the last judicial year while add­r­e­­ssing a conference marking the new judicial year here at the Supreme Court auditorium on Monday. All the 24 judges of the Su­­preme Court were present at the ceremony. Comparing the previous years’ SJC performance, the chief justice said the council did not dispose of a single complaint in 2021-22. It decided 21 cases in 2022–23, 53 in 2023–24 and nearly 70 cases in 2024-25, he said, claiming that the institutional strengthening was also prioritised during the past one year. He said the Supreme Court ha...

DERA MURAD JAMALI: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti has declared the elimination of terrorism and the improvement of governance as the province’s foremost priorities. Speaking at an open kachehry in the Bhekar area of Dera Bugti district, he urged political stakeholders to move beyond “non-issues” and focus on the real challenges hindering development. The event drew a large turnout of citizens and members of the provincial assembly, offering a rare platform for direct public engagement. CM Bugti listened attentively to public grievances and issued immediate directives to officials, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to swift and practical solutions. Urges political stakeholders to move beyond ‘non-issues’ and focus on real development challenges The chief minister described terrorism as a “cancer” that has deeply affected all segments of society. He commended the sacrifices made by the people of Dera Bugti in their pursuit of peace and national unity, emp...

JERUSALEM: Israel has displaced dozens more Palestinians after destroying another high-rise building in Gaza City, the second such attack in 24 hours. At least 46 people have been killed in strikes on a school, tents and houses across Gaza on Sunday, while a drone launched from Yemen hit an airport in southern Israel forcing suspension of flights for some hours. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the army was “deepening” its assault in and around Gaza City, as it seeks to step up pressure on the Palestinian group Hamas. Israeli air strikes have flattened two high-rises in Gaza City as troops intensified their operations in the area, aiming to conquer the Palestinian territory’s largest urban centre. “We are deepening the manoeuvre on the outskirts of Gaza City and within Gaza City itself,” Netanyahu told ministers at the start of a cabinet meeting, according to a video shared by his office. Netanyahu says army ‘deepening’ assault on Gaza City “We are destroying ter...

The Balochistan government on Sunday put out a statement warning protesters against disrupting law and order during a shutter-down strike across the province, including Quetta, on September 8 (Monday). Six opposition political parties announced a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike earlier this week, to protest against the suicide bombing that targeted a Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) pu­­blic meeting at Quetta’s Shahwani Stadium on Tuesday, which left 15 dead and 38 injured. The strike call has been given jointly by six political parties, including the BNP-M, PTI, Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), National Party, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen and Jamaat-i-Islami. While the provincial government noted in the statement that protest is a fundamental right, it warned demonstrators against blocking roads and highways. “Strict and immediate action will be taken against those who try to obstruct the freedom of movement and routines of life of citizens,” the Balochistan Home D...

BAHWALNAGAR: As many as 17 people were booked by the Shehar Farid police in Chishtian on Friday for attempting to break a temporary protective dyke in the Kamiraan village which is surrounded by floodwater. According to the FIR, seven residents of Kamiraan village, along with 10 unknown persons, were breaking the temporary protective dyke around the village with heavy machinery and tractors at 7pm on September 4. When the locals intervened, they beat them up, fired in the air and threatened to kill them. However, the men fled when a large police contingent arrived at the scene after being informed by the local residents. It is pertinent to mention here that many temporary protective dykes built by locals at various places in the 160 kilometer-long Sutlej belt in Bahawalnagar have broken. Due to this, thousands of acres of land have been submerged and dozens of villages of Minchinabad, Bahawalnagar and Chishtian have been affected by the river and they have been cut-off from the c...

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday vowed that Pakistan will continue its unwavering support to the people of Palestine by raising the issue of genocide of Palestinians in Gaza at the hands of brutal Israeli forces, at all international forums. The prime minister made this pledge during a meeting with Adviser to the President of Palestine on Religious Affairs and Chief Justice of the Shariat Court, Mahmoud Siddiqui Alhabash, who is leading a Palestinian delegation attending the Seerat Conference here, alongside the Imam of Al Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinian Ambassador. “During the meeting, the prime minister conveyed his warm regards to Dr Mahmoud Abbass, President of Palestine. He reaffirmed the unwavering support of the people of Pakistan to the Palestinian cause and assured the Palestinian side that Pakistan would continue to lend its full support for the brotherly people of Palestine, who have rendered enormous sacrifices and bravely faced Israeli brutal aggression...

ISLAMABAD: The UN refugee agency has said that the expiry of Proof of Registration (PoR) cards grace period that ended on August 31, has triggered a sharp rise in the return of Afghans from Pakistan. A situation report of the UNHCR released on Friday said that in August alone, returns increased by 254 per cent, while deportations rose by 191pc as compared to July, coinciding with the start of the third phase of the ‘Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan’ (IFPR). The report says 531,700 Afghans have returned from Pakistan,as of September 4. Since April, more than 483,700 Afghans have returned from Pakistan to Afghanistan, including 145,200 in August alone, with some 55,000 making the journey in just the final four days of the month. The proportion of Proof of Registration (PoR) card holders among returnees has steadily increased, rising from 6 per cent in April to 21–23 per cent between May and July. UNHCR report reveals that as of Sept 4, around half a million refugees have re...

The European Union on Friday slapped Google with a massive 2.95 billion euro ($3.47bn) antitrust fine for favouring its own advertising services, despite President Donald Trump’s warnings not to target United States big tech. Google vowed to appeal the decision by the European Commission, which accused the US firm of distorting competition in the 27-nation bloc. “Google abused its dominant position in adtech, harming publishers, advertisers, and consumers. This behaviour is illegal under EU antitrust rules,” EU competition chief Teresa Ribera said. Trump has threatened to go after Europe for its rules on the digital market and on policing content, which affect tech giants based in the US. Earlier this week, it emerged Ribera had hit pause on the fine, seemingly for fear of US retaliation. The EU is still waiting for the US to make good on a promise to lower tariffs on cars under a trade deal agreed in July. Brussels ordered Google to end its “self-preferencing practices” and ta...

• Premier meets his counterpart, pledges close coordination on CPEC 2.0 • Reiterates commitment to protecting Chinese citizens, promises ‘no red tape’ for investors • Terms skilled workforce a ‘comparative advantage’ ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China on Thursday vowed to further cement bilateral trade and strategic ties, as both sides inked 21 different MoUs and joint ventures worth around $8.5 billion, besides formally launching the second phase of the China-Pakis­tan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. The MoUs were signed between the two countries with regard to cooperation in the development of CPEC 2.0, science and technology, IT, media, investment, agriculture, etc. On the last day of his visit to China, PM Shehbaz Sharif met his counterpart, Premier Li Qiang, and attended an investors’ conference. According to the PM Office, PM Shehbaz and his Chinese counterpart reaffirmed to work together in a meeting that the former termed “most productive”. “Both sides also agreed to con...

KABUL: A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck southeastern Afghanistan on Thursday, the German Research Centre for Geos­ciences said, the third tremor in the same region since Sunday, when one of the country’s deadliest quakes in decades killed more than 2,200 people. The tremor, at a depth of 10km (six miles), followed the earlier quakes that flattened villages in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, left tens of thousands homeless and injured more than 3,600 people. Survivors have been left without shelter as aid groups warn of dwindling resources, with the United Nations and other agencies citing a critical need for food, medical supplies and shelter. Rescue workers on Thu­rs­day pulled bodies from the rubble of homes razed in Afghanistan’s earthquakes as the confirmed death toll topped 2,200, while homeless survivors faced a bleak future with global aid agencies warning of dwindling resources. Search operations continued in the quake-hit mountainous eastern areas, the Taliban administra...

At the Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs, Florida, a chant starts softly, then grows into a thunderous roar that shakes the plexiglass: “Pakistan Zindabad!” For the players on the ice, looking at a sea of green flags and ecstatic faces, the moment is surreal. They have just done the unthinkable. They have won gold. This is not the beginning of a feel-good sports movie. This is the true story of the Pakistan men’s ice hockey team, a group of diaspora athletes who, just one year after forming and without a single ice rink in their homeland, conquered the LATAM Cup Division III last month, winning all five fixtures. Their journey was a testament to love, identity, and the audacious belief that some dreams are worth chasing, no matter how impossible they seem. It all began with a man and a question: “Why not us?” Adnan Khan, known to everyone as Donny, is the founder of Pakistan ice hockey. He was born in Karachi, but his love for the game began as a teenager after he moved to the US....