Bangladesh Blind Cricket team finished runners-up in the Blind T20 World Cup' 2024 losing to hosts Pakistan by 10 wickets in the final at Multan Cricket Stadium in Pakistan on Tuesday. This is the first-ever Blind Cricket World Cup trophy for Pakistan in the 4th edition of the meet after,India clinching the title of the first three World Cup. Batting first, Bangladesh posted a total of 139 runs for the loss of 7 wickets with Arif Hussain contributing team's highest 54 runs off 52 balls hitting four fours. Besides, Mohammad Salman (31) and Ashiqur Rahman (22) were the other Bangladeshi batsmen reaching double figure Read: Zimbabwe all out for 57 as Pakistan takes unassailable 2-0 lead in T20 series Pakistan's bowler Babar Ali claimed two wickets while Mohammad Salman and Matiullah took one wicket each to restrict Bangladesh to a modest total. In reply, Pakistan blind team chased down the target scoring 142 runs without losing any wickets in just 11 overs. Opener Nisar Ali remained unbeaten with a stellar 72 runs off just 31 balls while Mohammad Safdar supported him making not out 47 runs off 33 balls. Their unbroken partnership saw Pakistan across the line, ensuring a dominant 10-wicket victory. This victory marks a historic achievement for Pakistan to lift the Blind T20 World Cup for the first time in the tournament’s history. The Blind World Cup, which introduced in 2012, had seen India's domination in last three editions as the Men in Blue winning all three three previous tournaments. This time holders India not participated in the Blind World Cup in Pakistan soil. The first edition played in India in 2012, India defeat Pakistan by 29 runs in the final. In the second edition in 2017, saw India triumph beating their neighbor India by 9 wickets and in the 3rd edition also held in India in 2022, India retained the trophy beating Bangladesh in the final.

Pakistan hopes it will get a fair deal on “equality” when the International Cricket Council holds a virtual meeting on Friday to finalize details for next year’s Champions Trophy. There’s an impasse for the eight-team, 50-over format tournament after India declined to tour Pakistan for the event, scheduled to be held from Feb. 19 to March 9. A decades-long tense political situation between the two south Asian countries hasn’t see India playing international cricket in Pakistan since 2008 when it competed in Asia Cup. Both nations have competed in ICC tournaments with Pakistan touring India last year for the 50-overs World Cup. “I promise we’ll do what is best for Pakistan cricket,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said in Lahore. “We’re still clear in our stance that it’s not acceptable that we play cricket in India, and they don’t play cricket here. Whatever will happen, will happen on the basis of equality. We’ve told the ICC very clearly, and what happens next we’ll let you know.” The ICC board could decide the issue in a vote among members. “Whatever we do, we will make sure the best outcome for Pakistan is achieved,” Naqvi said. “But I repeat, and I am sure you know what I mean, it’s not possible that Pakistan play in India, and they don’t come here.” Earlier this month, the ICC told the PCB that the Board of Control for Cricket in India had informed the game’s governing body it will not tour Pakistan for the event. The PCB sent an email, asking the ICC reasons behind India’s refusal. 13-year-old cricketer Suryavanshi can become India's latest T20 batting sensation Naqvi said he’s been in “constant touch” with the ICC chairman Greg Barckley, but didn’t say whether he got the answers from the game’s governing body as to why India was not willing to tour Pakistan. Naqvi, who is also the interior minister in the Pakistan government, said that whatever decision the ICC makes on Friday, he will go to his government for the final approval. Pakistan has spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of three stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi — the three venues chosen for the Champions Trophy. Naqvi said he hoped the renovation of three stadiums will be completed well in time to host the event.  

Supporters seeking the release of imprisoned Pakistani former premier Imran Khan on Tuesday broke through a ring of shipping containers locking down the capital Islamabad, battled police, and ignored a government threat to respond with gunfire. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds and at least one person has died in clashes. Scores more have been injured, including journalists who were attacked by Khan supporters. Dozens of Khan supporters beat a videographer covering the protest for The Associated Press and broke his camera. He sustained head injuries and was being treated in a hospital. Thousands of Imran Khan supporters arrested ahead of Islamabad rally Shortly after midnight, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had threatened protesters that police would respond with live fire if protesters fired weapons at them. “If they again fire bullets, the bullet will be responded with the bullet.” he said. Khan, who has been in jail for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases, remains popular. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated. Authorities say only courts can order the release of Khan, who was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. He has been imprisoned since his first conviction in a graft case, in August 2023, and has been sentenced in several cases. Khan’s supporters were around 10 km (6.2 miles) from their destination, the city’s Red Zone that houses key government buildings. Naqvi said Khan's party rejected a government offer to rally on the outskirts of the city. In a bid to foil the protest, police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services in some parts of the country. On Thursday, a court prohibited rallies in the capital and Naqvi said anyone violating the ban would be arrested. Travel between Islamabad and other cities has become nearly impossible because of shipping containers blocking the roads. All educational institutions remain closed. Mobile internet services and messaging platforms are experiencing severe disruption in the capital. The PTI relies heavily on social media to demand his release and uses messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. The violence comes during an official visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Pakistan Sunday suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns” as supporters of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan geared up for a protest in the capital. The government and Interior Ministry posted the announcement on social media platform X, which is banned in Pakistan. They did not specify the areas, nor did they say how long the suspension would be in place. “Internet and mobile services will continue to operate as usual in the rest of the country,” the posts said. A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry was not immediately available for comment. Khan has been in prison for more than a year and has over 150 criminal cases against him. But he remains popular and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated. His supporters rely heavily on social media to demand his release and use messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. Pakistan has already sealed off the capital Islamabad with shipping containers and shut down major roads and highways connecting the city with PTI strongholds in the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan seals off capital ahead of Imran Khan supporters’ rally The government is imposing social media platform bans and targeting VPN services, according to monitoring service Netblocks. On Sunday, Internet-access advocacy group, Netblocks said live metrics showed WhatsApp backends are restricted in Pakistan, affecting media sharing on the app. Last month, authorities suspended the cellphone service in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to thwart a pro-Khan rally. The shutdown disrupted communications and affected everyday services such as banking, ride-hailing and food delivery.  

A Pakistani court granted bail Wednesday to former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a graft case, his lawyer said. But with a slew of other charges pending against him, the opposition leader is staying in prison. Still, the order by a superior court in the capital, Islamabad, was a boost for Khan in the case in which he is accused, along with his wife, Bushra Bibi, of keeping and selling state gifts in violation of government rules when he was in power. Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament in 2022, has denied the charge. The hearings in the trial on the graft charges started in July and are still ongoing. Khan has so far been embroiled in over 150 cases and has been sentenced in several, including to three years, 10 years, 14 years and seven years to be served concurrently under Pakistani law. His convictions were later overturned in appeals but he cannot be freed due to other, pending cases against him. His lawyer, Salman Safdar said he remained confident Khan would be freed but experts say there are at least eight cases standing in the way of Khan's release on bail. Khan, who has been held in a prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi for over a year, has maintained his innocence and has argued that the cases are an attempt to sideline him politically by keeping him out of the public area. His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, has also been demanding his release. Khan’s supporters have called for a rally in Islamabad on Sunday to demand his release — despite a government ban on the gathering. A suicide car bombing at a security post in northwestern Pakistan has killed 12 troops Pakistan’s laws allow government officials and politicians to keep gifts given to them by foreign dignitaries, but they must correctly declare the market value of those gifts and declare any money they earned after selling them. Last month, Bibi was freed on bail in the same case but will have to appear in court for the hearings alongside her husband.

A suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden vehicle at a security post in northwestern Pakistan, killing 12 members of the security forces and wounding several others, officials said Wednesday. The attack, one of the deadliest in recent months, happened Tuesday evening in Bannu, a district in restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said in a statement. It said in the ensuing exchange of fire, six “khwarij” — a phrase which is used for Pakistani Taliban — were killed. “The attempt to enter the post was effectively thwarted by own troops, which forced the khwarij to ram an explosive laden vehicle into the perimeter wall of the post,” the statement said. It said the suicide attack led to collapse of a portion of a perimeter wall and damaged the adjoining infrastructure, resulting in the “martyrdom" of 12 security forces. A breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban, known as the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement. Pakistan has witnessed a steady increase in violence since November 2022, when the Pakistani Taliban ended a monthslong cease-fire with the government in Islamabad. The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, are a separate group but are allies of the Afghanistan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan emboldened the TTP, whose top leaders and fighters are hiding in Afghanistan. In December 2023, a suicide bomber targeted a police station’s main gate in Dera Ismail Khan, a district in northwestern Pakistan, killing 23 troops. Tuesday's attack happened in Bannu while the country's political and military leadership was meeting in Islamabad to discuss how to respond to the surge in militant violence. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday approved a “comprehensive military operation” against separatist groups, including the Balochistan Liberation Army, in southwestern Balochistan province. The order came following a Nov. 9 suicide attack by the group at a train station that killed 26 people in Quetta, the capital of the province. In recent months. violence has also surged in northwest Pakistan, where security forces often target TTP and the Gul Bahadur group. Abdullah Khan, a senior defense analyst and managing director of the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, said over 900 security forces have been killed in militant attacks in Pakistan since 2022, when TTP ended the cease-fire with the government. “TTP and other groups have expanded their operations, showing they are getting more recruits, money and weapons,” Khan said. He said there is a need for political stability in the country to defeat the insurgents. Pakistan has experienced a political crisis since 2022, when then-Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament. He was arrested and imprisoned in 2023. Since then, his supporters have been rallying to demand his release.

A suicide attack at a checkpoint killed four Pakistani security personnel and injured five in the country’s northwest on Saturday, police said. The bombing was carried out in a rickshaw in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police officer Amjad Khanand said, adding that the injured were in critical condition. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, who operate out of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and target security personnel. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. In a separate incident, a remote-controlled bomb struck a military convoy in Tank district, also in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. No casualties were reported.

England's top-order crumbled against spin-heavy Pakistan on a reused pitch after Ben Duckett hit a robust century in the second test on Wednesday. The tourists slipped to 239-6 at stumps on Day 2 and still trail by 127 runs after Pakistan tailenders had resisted before being bowled out for 366 shortly after lunch. Duckett’s 114 off 129 balls looked to have kept England in the driver's seat before it lost four late wickets in a sensational collapse against spinners Sajid Khan (4-86) and Noman Ali (2-75). Khan struck three times in 10 deliveries and got the big wickets of Joe Root (34), Duckett and Harry Brook (9). Ben Stokes, returning to test cricket from a torn hamstring, got caught close to the wicket of Ali’s left-arm spin after scoring just 1 off five balls. Jamie Smith was unbeaten on 12 as Pakistan spinners exposed England’s long tail with Brydon Carse not out on 2 from 19 balls. Duckett had dominated the spinners with his authoritative sweep shots and added 86 runs with Root before Khan struck late on a dry wicket, tailor-made to suit the home team’s all-out spin attack. Leach take 2 wickets as Pakistan reaches 79-2 on 1st day of 2nd test against England Root, who scored a memorable 262 in England’s massive innings and 47-run win in the first test, dragged Khan back onto his stumps and then Duckett edged the off-spinner to slip after the ball had spun enough from the rough. Brook, the triple-century maker at the same venue last week, then paid the price of exposing his stumps to Khan’s length ball and got clean bowled as Pakistan sliced the strong England batting lineup with its spinners, who haven’t played first-class cricket for the last nine months. Opening batter Zak Crawley made a shaky 27 and couldn’t capitalize on chances as Khan made a mess of a run-out chance when he broke the stumps before grabbing the ball at the non-striker’s end. Duckett later convinced Crawley to go for a successful lbw television referral before he finally got caught behind of Ali after contributing 73 runs for the first wicket stand. Duckett had bossed the spinners for 16 boundaries with his strong sweep shots before Pakistan's spinners hit back late. Earlier, Jack Leach grabbed 4-114 and fast bowlers Carse (3-50) and Matthew Potts (2-66) shared five wickets in between them before Pakistan was dismissed shortly after lunch. The tailenders batted around all-rounder Aamer Jamal’s 37 to frustrate England with Ali also playing a little cameo of 32 off 61 balls as Pakistan added 107 to its overnight 259-5. Pakistan lost the overnight pair of Mohammad Rizwan (41) and Salman Ali Agha (31) before Jamal, who received treatment on his hip while batting, chipped away by adding 49 runs with Ali. Rizwan’s scrappy knock ended in the third over of the day when Jamie Smith made a spectacular diving catch as Carse squared up the batter with his pace. Jamal and Noman defied England in the latter half of the first session as Pakistan added 99 runs to its overnight 259-5 before Leach and Carse ended the frustration by dismissing the home team after lunch. Debutant Kamran Ghulam made headlines on Day 1 with a resolute century as Pakistan looks for its first home win in 12 matches by packing its playing XI with three specialist spinners and only one fast bowler in Jamal. Ghulam had been scoring well in Pakistan’s domestic seasons for the last four years, but got his chance after Pakistan rested its premier batter Babar Azam for the remaining two test matches of the series against England.

Pakistan is hosting a major security meeting this week, with senior leaders from longtime ally China and archrival India among those attending. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established in 2001 by China and Russia to discuss security concerns in Central Asia and the wider region. But it’s Pakistan’s own security that is under the microscope. An attack on a foreign ambassadors’ convoy, violent protests by supporters of an imprisoned former premier, and a bombing outside Pakistan’s biggest airport are signs the country is struggling to contain multiplying threats from insurgents. The summit, which begins Tuesday in Islamabad, comes at a crucial time for the government. Here’s why: Armed groups are outpacing the army Pakistan says it has foiled attacks through intelligence-based operations and preventative measures. It frequently vows “to root out terrorism.” But the frequency and scale of the recent violence give the impression that the government isn’t in control and raises questions about its ability to protect key sites and foreigners, let alone Pakistanis. In the last few weeks, separatists from Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province have killed Chinese nationals in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city, as well as more than 20 miners in an attack on housing at a coal mine and seven workers in another attack. The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army is better at mobilizing fighters in different areas and its operational capabilities have increased. The group wants independence for the province. It’s not interested in overthrowing the state to establish a caliphate, which is what the Pakistani Taliban want. But the two groups have a common enemy -- the government. Analysts have said the BLA is getting support from the Pakistani Taliban. But, even without an alliance, attacks in the southwest are becoming more audacious and brutal, indicating that the BLA’s tactics are evolving and taking the security apparatus by surprise. The Pakistani Taliban continue their shootings and bombings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. It could be difficult for militants to hit the summit given the security around it and the areas where delegates will stay. But they could still wreak havoc. Vehicles are often just waved through street checkpoints in Islamabad. Aside from government buildings and top hotels, body searches and under-vehicle scanners are rare. “At stake for the entire state is the only mission -- how to hold such an event peacefully,” said Imtiaz Gul, the executive director of the Center for Research and Security Studies. “How to get it done without any unpleasant incidents taking place. It’s going to be a formidable challenge for the government to disprove the notion of failures within the security apparatus.” Pakistan is paying the price for shutdowns Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said last week that the national economy suffered cumulative daily losses of more than $684 million on account of recent agitation. He was referring to supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan reaching the heart of the capital, despite a suspension of the local mobile phone network and shipping containers blocking entry and exit points to the city. The shutdown hit most business sectors, the gig economy, point-of-sale transactions, commuters, students, workers and more. Pakistan can’t afford to incur such losses or deepen people’s grievances. It relies on International Monetary Fund bailouts and multibillion-dollar deals and loans from friendly countries to meet its economic needs. There are regular protests about energy bills and the cost of living. Despite people's hardships, authorities have declared a three-day holiday surrounding the summit. There have been reports of the government ordering the closure of wedding halls, restaurants, hotels, cafes and markets in Islamabad and the neighboring garrison city Rawalpindi for security reasons. Officials denied the reports, but not very strenuously. “Generally, high-profile conferences are meant to promote connectivity, trade and improve a country’s image,” said Gul. But not in this case because Islamabad won't look like a normal city, he added. “It seems they lack innovative thinking," Gul said. "They are unable to use smart approaches and that’s why the easier way is to shut everything down.” A seat at the table and saving face The last time Pakistan hosted a summit was in March 2022, a month before Khan was kicked out of office and a fresh cycle of upheaval started. The country's security situation and political instability are two factors that have prevented it from holding major international events. Even its best-loved sport, cricket, has suffered. There was a 10-year absence of test matches after terrorists ambushed a Sri Lanka team bus in 2009, killing eight people and injuring players and officials. The summit is Pakistan’s chance to shine, especially in front of its neighbor China, to whom it is in hock by several billion dollars and whose nationals are prime targets for armed groups, as well as India, which is sending its foreign minister to the country for the first time since 2015. India and Pakistan have fought three wars and built up their armies but also developed nuclear weapons. China and India fought a war over their border in 1962. Pakistan, unused to hosting such a high-level meeting, will have to put its best face forward. Senior defense analyst Abdullah Khan said the government wants to present itself in the context of international legitimacy amid current domestic crises. “The presence of heads of state and other senior officials will itself be a success as Pakistan will come out of its so-called isolation,” said Khan. “A peacefully held SCO will further improve the country’s image.”

Tribal clashes killed at least 11 people in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday and injured eight, including women and children, a local official said. Tensions rose in Kurram district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, after two people were critically injured in a shooting incident between rival tribes. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the shooting. Vehicles were targeted in different areas of the district, leading to more casualties, said senior official Javedullah Khan. Khan said efforts were being made to secure travel routes and restore normalcy. The injured were taken to a hospital. Pir Haider Ali Shah, a former parliamentarian and member of a tribal council, said elders had arrived in Kurram to mediate a peace agreement between the tribes. Read: Gunmen kill 20 miners and wound others in an attack in southwest Pakistan “The recent firing incidents are regrettable and have hampered efforts for lasting peace,” he said. Last month, at least 25 people were killed in days of clashes between armed Shiites and Sunni Muslims over a land dispute. Although both live together largely peacefully in the country, tensions have existed for decades between them in some areas, especially in Kurram, where Shiites dominate in parts of the district. Also Saturday, a separatist group in the southwest claimed responsibility for an attack that killed 21 people. The Baloch Liberation Army said its fighters targeted a coal mine in Duki district with heavy weapons, rocket launchers and grenades late Thursday night. It gave higher casualty figures of 30 dead and 18 injured. It also said that Pakistani security personnel were disguised as workers, without giving evidence. It threatened more assaults unless the military withdrew from the province. Read more: Suspected militants shoot police in vehicle in northwest Pakistan, killing 2 officers Balochistan is home to several groups that demand independence from the federal government, accusing it of exploiting the oil- and mineral-rich province at the expense of locals.