FARUKH SHEHZAD

ISLAMABAD, NOV 8: Australia will tour Pakistan in March and April next year — the country’s first since 1998 — to play a series of Test, ODI and T20 matches, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Monday.

In a statement, the PCB said the visiting team will play three Tests, three one day internationals (ODIs) and one Twenty-20 international (T20I) match.

The Test matches will be played in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore from March 3 to 25, the PCB said, adding that all four white-ball matches will be played in Lahore form March 29 to April 5.

“The Tests will be played as part of the ICC World Test Championship, while the ODIs will be connected to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League — a 13-team event from which the seven highest-placed sides and the hosts, India, will qualify directly for the event proper in 2023,” the cricket body said.

PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja said he was “delighted to welcome Australia to Pakistan”.

Raja observed that Australia was one of the high-performing cricket teams and playing with them in Pakistan after a gap of 24 years would be a “special treat for the fans”.

The chairman said the tour would also give the Aussies the opportunity to not only play at some of Pakistan’s most iconic venues but also “feel and enjoy the respect, love and hospitality that this great country offers, something which most of their previous generation of cricketers missed out by playing offshore”.

For his part, Cricket Australia Chief Executive Nick Hockley said Australia was “excited” about the prospect of visiting Pakistan and playing a highly anticipated series in a country “so incredibly passionate about the game and their national team”.

“Pakistan is a formidable opposition with an exceptionally talented team, as evidenced by their dynamic performances in the current ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the UAE,” he said.

Hockley thanked the PCB for its efforts to plan the tour and said the Australian cricket board was looking forward to working with the PCB and relevant agencies to “ensure that appropriate and sufficient arrangements are put in place for the tour”.

Hockley shared that Cricket Australia’s delegation will visit Pakistan to meet PCB and provincial and federal authorities to discuss and finalise matters related to the tour including team operations, logistics, security and Covid-19 protocols.

Pakistan had staged its last four series with Australia in Sri Lanka, England and the UAE.

Schedule of matches:

• 1st Test, Karachi – March 3 to 7
• 2nd Test, Rawalpindi – March 12 to 16
• 3rd Test, Lahore – March 21 to 25
• 1st ODI, Lahore – March 29
• 2nd ODI, Lahore – March 31
• 3rd ODI, Lahore – April 2
• T20I, Lahore – April 5

Earlier this month, the PCB announced that the West Indies cricket team will play three T20Is and three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League matches at Karachi’s National Stadium from Dec 13 to 22.

It will be the West Indies’ first tour of Pakistan since April 2018 when they had played three T20Is.

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Courtesy Dawn News

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ISLAMABAD, NOV 8: Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad and Hanns Seidel Foundation Pakistan are jointly organizing a Conference on "Climate Change as a Non-Traditional Security Challenge: Relevance for Pakistan". 

The Conference is a follow up to the Round Table Discussion organized online on 2nd June 2021 and aims to establish a strong narrative based on critically analyzed climate change scenarios in the region and particularly in Pakistan. 

The discussion will focus on highlighting the grave implications of climate change on the major pillars of national security of Pakistan i.e., Economy, Society, and Politics. Moreover, to find applicable collective solutions to curtail repercussions emanating from climate change.

The Conference will be held on Wednesday, 10th November 2021 from 10:30 to 15:30 hrs. at Margala Hall, Margala Hotel, Islamabad.

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• Green Shirts win 5 straight, including historic win over India
• Babar and Co beat Scotland to set up semis clash with Australia on Nov 11

Tashkent, NOV 7: A solemn ceremony of inauguration of the President-elect of the Republic of Uzbekistan took place in Tashkent at a joint meeting of the chambers of the Oliy Majlis.

The ceremony was attended by members of the Senate and deputies of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, heads of state and public organizations, representatives of the diplomatic corps, domestic and foreign media.

The Chairman of the Central Election Commission Z. Nizamkhodjayev opened the event. He noted that the Presidential elections held on October 24 were held in accordance with democratic principles, in the spirit of active political competition. According to the results of the voting, a candidate from the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Businesspeople –Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev was elected to the post of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who received 80.12 percent of the vote.

The Chairman of the Central Election Commission congratulated Shavkat Mirziyoyev on behalf of the meeting participants and presented him with a certificate of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

In accordance with Article 92 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the President took the oath: “I do solemnly swear to faithfully serve the people of Uzbekistan, to strictly follow the Constitution and laws of the Republic, to guarantee the rights and freedoms of its citizens, and to conscientiously exercise the duties vested on the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan”.

The National Anthem of Uzbekistan was played.

The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev delivered a speech on priority areas for the next five years.

“We have developed a Strategy for the Development of New Uzbekistan and widely discussed it together with the people during the election campaign. In this important conceptual document, to ensure the consistency and continuity of our transformations, the main idea is “From the Action Strategy to the Development Strategy”, the Head of the state said.

It was noted that this strategy consists of seven directions.

The first direction is building people’s state through the development of a free civil society. To this end, in the future, most of the state functions will be transferred from the center to the regions. Each mahalla will have the position of an assistant hokim. The district budget will receive funds from additional sources and separate funds will be formed for each mahalla. The central agencies will be transformed, a compact and effective management system will be created, and the agencies performing duplicate functions will be optimized.

“The leader should not be a burden for people, but, on the contrary, make their life easier”, the President said.

The second direction covers the tasks of strengthening justice and the rule of law, respect for the honor and dignity of a person. To this end, the judicial system and the institution of the legal profession, the activities of law enforcement agencies will be improved. Protection of the rights of entrepreneurs and owners will be strengthened. All the forces and means of the state and society will be aimed at eradicating corruption. Activities in this direction will not be limited to bringing the perpetrators to justice, but will also be aimed at eliminating the causes of corruption, using effective preventive measures.

In the third direction, plans for the development of the national economy have been outlined. The goal is that by 2030 Uzbekistan should enter a number of states with an above-average per capita income. This will be achieved primarily by stimulating the private sector and increasing its share, as well as attracting foreign direct investment. Priority measures will be taken to ensure macroeconomic stability and reduce inflation to 5 percent.

Major projects are planned to provide the population with housing and clean drinking water, build modern roads and communications, improve public transport and communications between regions.

Fourth, the issue of providing quality education and upbringing will be at the center of constant attention. It is planned to gradually increase the salary of teachers and by 2025 bring it to 1,000 dollars in equivalent. It is necessary to develop a National Education Program aimed at building new and strengthening the material and technical base of existing schools, ensuring continuous communication between all parts of the education system.

Broad conditions will be created for the protection of public health. In the next five years, it is planned to increase the salary of doctors of the highest category to 1 thousand dollars in equivalent. The coverage of specialized medical care in regions, districts and cities will expand. The system of state medical insurance will be launched. Funds will be allocated regarding a specific patient. The development of physical culture and sports, the establishment of a healthy lifestyle will remain an important task.

Within the framework of the fifth direction, the development of the spiritual and enlightenment sphere is envisaged. To this end, the concept of “New Uzbekistan – an enlightened society” will be implemented. Priority will be given to the development of culture and art, the formation of healthy convictions among young people, the strengthening of interethnic harmony and mutual respect.

Sixth, it is necessary to consolidate efforts in the search for solutions to global problems, develop appropriate steps at the national and regional levels, the Head of the state noted. The increasing negative impact of environmental threats was noted. The issues of the development of the zone of ecological innovations and technologies in the Aral Sea region, the development of the World Environmental Charter were considered.

The seventh direction contains the tasks of ensuring peace and security in the country, the development of international cooperation. It was noted that increasing the power of the Armed Forces of Uzbekistan, strengthening the combat readiness, physical and moral training of servicemen will continue to be an urgent task.

Uzbekistan will continue its pragmatic, balanced foreign policy and economic diplomacy. This is, first of all, the further strengthening of good-neighborliness and strategic partnership with the countries of Central Asia, as well as the expansion of mutually beneficial and multifaceted relations with partners in all regions of the world.

“In these exciting moments, I want to emphasize: as President, I consider the meaning of my life to faithfully serve our people, fully devoting myself to ensuring the peace and well-being of my native country, its development. For me, there is no other, higher goal and greater happiness. Dear compatriots, your sincere support, the blessing of the older generation, the trust shown by the youth, give me new strength and energy”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

Thereupon, the joint meeting of the Legislative Chamber and the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan has ended.

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Courtesy uzdaily

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Stockholm, NOV 7: Sweden’s Social Democratic Prime Minister Stefan Lofven will resign from office in the near future. A spokeswoman for Lofven told on Sunday that he would submit his application to this effect to Parliamentary President Andreas Norlen at the beginning of next week. Exactly when remained open.

The step had been expected. Lofven had announced in August that he would first retire as party leader and then as head of government.

In doing so, he wants to give his successor the opportunity to better position herself before the next Swedish parliamentary election in the late summer of 2022.

Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson was elected as the new party leader of the Social Democrats on Thursday. She is also to succeed Lofven in the country’s highest political office.

However, in view of the narrow majority in the Swedish parliament, she must first convince other parties not to oppose her in a parliamentary vote after Lofven’s resignation.

The Social Democrats have governed in Sweden for years together with the Greens in a minority government. Lofven has been Swedish prime minister since October 2014.

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Courtesy Anews

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SHARJAH, NOV 7: T20 World Cup: Scotland begin pursuit of gargantuan 190-run target set by Pakistan. Star wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has added another feather in his cap as he achieved the milestone of the most runs in T20Is in a calendar year.

The 28-year-old dethroned West Indies legend Chris Gayle, who handed up his boots after the defending champions knocked out from the ongoing T20 World Cup.

When Rizwan hit his fifth run during Pakistan’s Super 12 stage match against Scotland, he surpassed Gayle’s 1,665 runs, which the left-hander scored in 2015.

The wicketkeeper departed after scoring just 15 in the game.

Earlier, Rizwan entered the record books after becoming the first-ever cricket to score 900-plus T20I runs in a calendar year as no other player has been able to score over 748 runs in one year.

Rizwan also surpassed his teammate Babar Azam (1,607 runs) and India’s Virat Kohli (1,614 runs) when it comes to the most overall T20 runs in a calendar year.

Rizwan also became the first player to score 10 50+ scores in T20Is in a calendar year. His tally this year includes a century as well.

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Courtesy Samaa News

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SHARJAH, NOV 7: Pakistan vs Scotland: Rare off night for Rizwan as he departs for 15. Pakistan batting first against Scotland in Sharjah on Sunday.

Babar Azam still on the pitch playing his shots in style. Scotish skipper his players to give their 100% in this game against Pakistan.

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ABU DHABI, NOV 7: India were effectively pushed out of the T20 World Cup on Sunday as New Zealand defeated Afghanistan by eight wickets.

New Zealand thus became the remaining semi-finalist to qualify from Group 2 after Pakistan.

England and Australia have booked their semi-finals spot from Group 1.

Trent Boult led a disciplined New Zealand attack to help restrict Afghanistan to 124 for eight.

Najibullah Zadran played a lone hand with his 48-ball 73 to give the Afghanistan total some respectability after they elected to bat first in Abu Dhabi.

Left-arm quick Boult returned figures of 3-17 from his four overs and was ably supported by Tim Southee who took two wickets.

A win for New Zealand would take them into the final four but if they lose it would benefit Afghanistan and India, who have got the best run-rate in the group and play Namibia in their last match on Monday.

New Zealand’s pace bowlers rattled the opposition’s top order with quick strikes as Adam Milne sent back Mohammad Shahzad caught behind for four in his first over.

Boult got going from the other end to get Hazratullah Zazai out for two and Southee trapped Rahmanullah Gurbaz lbw for six as Afghanistan slipped to 19-3.

Zadran counter-attacked with a handful of boundaries including two off Jimmy Neesham but soon took to defence after losing his partner Gulbadin Naib for 15.

Naib dragged a wide delivery from Kiwi leg-spinner Ish Sodhi onto his stumps.

Skipper Mohammad Naib joined Zadran at the crease as the duo attempted to push the scoring against the spinners and singled out Mitchell Santner for runs.

The left-handed Zadran smashed Santner for two sixes and later got to his 50 in a 33 balls. It was his second fifty in this T20 World Cup and sixth overall.

Southee broke the 59-run partnership, seeing off Nabi for 14.

Boult got the key scalp of Zadran with Neesham taking a good diving catch in the deep and the Afghans struggled to get runs in the final overs.

Afghanistan skipper Mohammad Nabi won the toss and elected to bat first.

Afghanistan made one change from their loss to India with fit-again spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman back in the XI.

“It’s a day game, so we want to post a decent total on the board,” said Nabi.

With a billion Indians praying for an Afghanistan victory, Nabi insisted his side will “try to win” the match for themselves.

New Zealand are unchanged from their previous victory that was their third in a row after their opening loss to Pakistan, who are already through to the semi-finals from this group.

“We were going to have a bat as well, it’s a used surface,” captain Kane Williamson said at the toss.

“I think both sides have match winners and it´s a mix of youth and experience.”

Teams                                                         

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson (capt), Devon Conway (wk), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boul.

Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Najibullah Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi (capt), Karim Janat, Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

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SHARJAH, NOV 7: Scotland skipper Kyle Coetzer has urged his players to give their best shot in Sunday’s last T20 World Cup match against Pakistan in Sharjah.

The Scots have lost all four Super 12 Group 2 games since defeating Bangladesh in the qualifiers last month.

“We’ve got to make sure we go in there with as much confidence as we possibly can do,” said Coetzer on Saturday.

“We’ve got one last crack of the whip while we’re out here. We’re not going to play together again until April probably.”

In contrast, Pakistan are the form team with four wins in as many games — a fact not lost on Coetzer.

“What better game and what better team to play against than Pakistan.

“They’re at the top of their game at the moment. That’s just an ultimate test and to challenge yourself against them,” said the Scottish skipper.

Pakistan have won all three T20 internationals against Scotland, one in the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007 and two in Edinburgh 11 years later.

Coetzer said his players will relish the challenge of facing rival skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan — who have put two century opening stands in four matches.

“What a challenge we’re going to be faced with,” said Coetzer.

“The two players are at the top of their game at the moment, so it would be great to experience that and hopefully try and knock a few of them over at the same time.

“We have to go in there respecting them but also willing to go and try and take them on, too. I think we’ve taken a few lessons from our last couple of games and some special lessons from the India game as well.”

India thumped Scotland by eight wickets in Dubai on Friday, knocking off the meagre 86-run target in just 6.2 overs.

Coetzer said the Indian players, led by skipper Virat Kohli, visiting their dressing room was a big experience.

“I think guys have had small opportunities to speak to various players from various teams during this tournament, but it’s been made a little bit harder by not being able to mix as easily in this tournament.

“But the opportunity to go and speak to the Indian team yesterday was a moment that some guys will probably never forget but also we learned so much.”

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Courtesy The News

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ISLAMABAD, NOV 7: Pakistan on Saturday accepted an LNG cargo at the highest-ever price of $30.6 per Million British Thermal Units (mmbtu) from Qatar Petroleum on the grounds of averting a possible gas crisis in the upcoming peak winter month.

The Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) had floated emergency bids for two cargoes to be supplied in November, as the firms involved, Gunvor and ENI, had defaulted on their commitments.

The PLL has short- and long-term agreements with Gunvor and the ENI for one LNG cargo each every month, but both suppliers refused to honour their part of the agreements. As a result, the state-owned firm had to call a tender on emergency basis for two LNG cargoes for the months of December and January.

While the bids were called for cargoes to be supplied between Nov 19-20 and Nov 26-27, the PLL decided not to entertain the first bid for the middle of November.

PLL FLOATED EMERGENCY BIDS FOR TWO CARGOES AFTER GUNVOR AND ENI DEFAULTED ON THEIR COMMITMENTS

For the delivery in the last week of the current month — Nov 26-27 — the lowest tender was filed by Qatar Petroleum Trading at $30.65 per mmbtu, followed by Total Energies at $30.96 and Vitol Bahrain at $31.05 per mmbtu.

Sources in the Petroleum Division said the first tender for supply on Nov 19-20 was scrapped as the country was facing gas shortage in December.

Therefore, the lowest bidder for the supply on Nov 26-27 was Qatar Petroleum at $30.65 per mmbtu, as re-gasification and supply of LNG into the system would be done in December, the sources added.

The PLL has been facing criticism for lacking proper strategies and ensuring LNG supplies when its prices were low in the international market. At the same time the state-owned entities had restricted the private sector from importing LNG as it could challenge the monopoly enjoyed by the public sector.

“The government has already floated the policy to allow the private sector to import LNG for their consumption and sale to various industries and sectors, but some government departments are creating hurdles in the implementation of this policy,” said All Pakistan CNG Association Chairman Ghiyas Paracha.

He said the Petroleum Division and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) had to take notice of this situation because the national economy and most importantly consumers were suffering due to expensive imports.

“We fear that the price of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) will go up by Rs8-9 per kg in December because of the single cargo being brought at the cost of $30.65 per mmbtu,” Mr Paracha added.

Though the impact would be faced by industries, it is unlikely that the government may increase gas rates for domestic consumers.

The move to allow the private sector to import LNG independently had been on the cards since 2011. After passing through various stages, Ogra, in December 2018, approved the gas network code for use of pipelines of the Sui Southern Gas Company and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited by any third party. However, the third party would have to obtain licences from the regulator and other relevant authorities and pay the pipeline use charges to the companies.

In November 2020, the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) had stressed on creating competitive market in the gas sector to end the monopoly enjoyed by both the state-owned gas utility companies – SNGPL and SSGC – and called on the private sector to perform an active role.

However, the idea could not materialise due to lack of planning and approvals by the state-run gas utility firms.

Meanwhile, the PLL has recently floated a tender to allocate idle capacity of LNG terminals on short notice for the supply of LNG equivalent to 385 million cubic feet daily (mmcfd) gas for December, 240 mmcfd for January 2022 and 275 mmcfd for February 2022.

The last date to file the application to obtain idle capacity at the existing terminals is Nov 18. At the same time, the PLL has said the available re-gasification capacities may vary both on a daily and a month-average basis based on the available berthing slots and requirement of the PLL’s own customers.

Replying to the query about the offer by the PLL to utilise idle capacity at LNG terminals, one of the private sector-licensed importers said the time to respond was too short.

On the other hand, analysts believe that the whole system needs revamping as it is not easy to determine the demand on a long-term basis to assess the idle capacity at LNG terminals.

“There is a continuous demand from the power sector and there are other long-term customers, therefore, determining the idle capacity for a period of four to six months in advance seems difficult for the PLL,” Head of Research and Development at Pak-Kuwait Investment Company Samiullah Tariq said.

Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) is a public-sector company and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Government Holdings (Private) Limited (GHPL) which is 100pc owned by the Government of Pakistan (GOP).

The PLL imports LNG at the LNG terminal located in Port Qasim and supplies regasified LNG (RLNG) into the network of gas utility companies.

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Courtesy Dawn News

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"Korean government is providing assistance to set up an IT technology park in Pakistan"

ISLAMABAD, Nov 06: Ambassador of Korea to Pakistan Suh Sangpyo has said there are bright prospects for Pakistani skilled youth entering into Korean market as workforce.

He said currently 1500 Pakistani students are studying in Korean institutes of higher learning in various technical and scientific fields, and many of them are on scholarships.

He said due to pandemic restrictions, a further 1200 Pakistani students could not go to Korea after securing admissions but they will reach there when the restraints are lifted.

The South Korean ambassador said after completing their education, many Pakistani students easily find employment in Korean companies.

Suh Sangpyo said Korean government is providing assistance to set up an IT technology park in Pakistan to develop trained IT professionals in the country. He said IT Park constructions are key projects of the Economic Development Cooperation Fund of South Korean government.

In 2019, Korea signed the framework agreement with Pakistan to provide $500 million of EDCF loans that give financial space for the construction of infrastructure in Pakistan.

He said Samsung is establishing a mobile phone manufacturing plant in Karachi where skilled Pakistani manpower will be employed to work in various departments.

Referring to historical ties between Korea and Pakistan, the ambassador said decades’ old bilateral relations between the two countries started in the 1960s and Seoul government borrowed Islamabad’s five year plan for its economic development and successfully implemented it.

The relations further blossomed in the following years and in the 1970s and 1980s the South Korean tourists started visiting Pakistan to pay pilgrimage to a number of Buddhist religious sites scattered across the country.

He said tourism is an area in which both Pakistan and Korea can increase their bilateral ties. Both countries recently signed a framework agreement to facilitate the entry of Korean tourists into Pakistan.

On business relations with Pakistan, the envoy said South Korean business giants like LG, Daewoo and Samsung already have a strong presence in Pakistani market with household products. He said due to law and order situation many Korean companies had to move out from the country in 2000s.

But with the improvement in security environment, the situation is going to reverse in future. He said a number of Korean companies are interested in further investing in Pakistan’s lucrative market. 

He said Korean government is trying to increase its bilateral trade volume with Pakistan which currently stands at not so optimum level.

Regarding Korean investment in Pakistan’s infrastructure, he pointed towards the building of Lahore-Islamabad Motorway in the 1990s which was a mega project.

He said in the energy sector, we are cooperating with Pakistani government in hydro power production. He said total investment in hydro power sector is around 4 billion dollars in Jammu and Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which may increase in future.

Suh Sangpyo said Pakistan can learn from Korean success in many areas including corporate and economic development, IT, water, and technical education. He said recently, a Korean finance delegation visited Pakistan to explore areas of cooperation. The delegation signed various MoUs of cooperation in diverse fields with Pakistani government.

He said a delegation of Korean experts from agricultural technology also visited Pakistan in recent months to help Pakistan increase agricultural productivity. He said Korean agricultural experts can help Pakistan with coming up of new seed varieties for insect resistant crops and better yield. 

He said Pakistani agricultural as well as surgical products are well received in Korean market, along with textile goods.

The South Korean ambassador said Korean car manufacturing companies like Hyundai and Kia have also brought their feature laden cars in Pakistani market, which are receiving good response.

The weekly program “Diplomatic Session” was hosted by renowned journalist and columnist Javed Siddiq while Producer of the program was Saeed Ahmad and Executive Producer Abdul Raoof Khan.

The weekly program “Diplomatic Session” is being broadcast from News and Current Affairs Channel and FM 101 networks of Radio Pakistan every Saturday at 1815 hrs.

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