Pakistan's viewpoint seems to have been registered, Qureshi on ECB chairman's resignation

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday reacted to the resignation of England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) chairman saying that "Pakistan's viewpoint seems to have been registered" by the board.

Earlier in the day, ECB chief, Ian Watmore, resigned from his post after increasing pressure since the cancellation of England's tour to Pakistan.

Speaking on the matter, Qureshi said that during his recent visit to the United Kingdom, he had raised the issue of England's decision to pull out of the Pakistan tour with his UK counterpart, Elizabeth Truss.

"We raised the issue of the ECB taking a unilateral decision to cancel the Pakistan tour and how it disappointed cricket fans," he said, adding that Truss informed him that the decision was independently taken by the ECB and it had nothing to do with the UK government.

"The UK foreign secretary assured us that she would convey our grievances to the ECB and, with the resignation of Ian Watmore, it seems that Pakistan's viewpoint has been registered by the board," Qureshi reiterated.

The foreign minister added: "We conveyed the message because we wanted the ECB to understand that such decisions are not without consequences as they cause difficulties for players and fans alike."

Qureshi further said that the England team should look at its schedule and decide when it is feasible for it to revisit Pakistan.

Watmore served as the chairman of the ECB for only 13 months, despite having been appointed for a five-year term.

The 63-year-old is leaving after consultations with the board of directors this week and his resignation will go into effect immediately, The Times reported.

According to ECB, following the announcement, Watmore remarked: "It is with regret that I step down as Chair of the ECB, but I do so in mindfulness of my own wellbeing and that of the game which I love. I was appointed to the post in a pre-pandemic era, but COVID has meant the role and its demands on time are dramatically different to all our original expectations, which has taken a personal toll on me. Given this, the Board and I feel the ECB will be better served by a new Chair to take it forward post-pandemic. Leaving now, at the end of the season, gives the Board time to find a new Chair to support cricket through the challenges of the 2022 season and beyond.

“On a personal level, I also retired last month after five years at the Civil Service Commission and recently became a grandfather. I would now like to retire completely from work and enjoy our great game as a spectator."

England's men and women teams were due to play two Twenty20s in Rawalpindi on October 13 and 14. The women's team were also due to play three ODIs in Pakistan on October 17, 19, and 21.

Following England's cancellation, which came on the heels of New Zealand pulling out of Pakistan at the eleventh hour of their own tour over what they said were "security" concerns, Watmore apologised to Pakistanis hurt by the move.

In Watmore's first public comments after England's decision invited anger from the Pakistan Cricket Board and cricket fans around the globe, he said: "I'm very sorry to anyone who feels hurt or let down by our decision, particularly in Pakistan."

"The decision the board made was an extremely difficult one and the board made it with the primary consideration being the welfare and mental health of our players and staff," he added.

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Regular engagement with US beneficial for both countries: Pakistan

The Foreign Office on Thursday emphasised the need for regular engagement with the United States as US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman reached here for talks on bilateral ties and Afghanistan situation.

Foreign Office spokesman Asim Iftikhar, at the weekly media briefing, said: “Close and regular engagement between Pakistan and the United States has always been mutually beneficial and effective for stability in South Asia.”

Ties between Pakistan and US got off to a rough start under President Joe Biden, who assumed presidency in January. The new US president has remained reluctant to personally engage Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The absence of a telephone call between Mr Biden and Mr Khan has come to symbolise the irritants in the ties that have been marred by mutual mistrust. However, Washington has kept the channel of communications with Pakistan open at officials’ level in view of the latter’s importance for its interests in Afghanistan.

According to AFP, Ms Sherman offered her condolences to the families affected by the earthquake that struck parts of Balochistan on Thursday morning, leaving at least 20 people dead.

Ms Sherman’s visit follows a trip by CIA Director William Burns to Pakistan last month.

“There is a desire on the part of Pakistan, and I believe on part of US as well, to make this relationship broad-based and forward looking, moving away from looking at it mostly from the perspective of Afghanistan,” Mr Iftikhar said.

The developments in Afghanistan since the completion of the withdrawal of troops have widened the gulf between the two countries.

Pakistan is being held responsible for America’s Afghanistan predicament in Washington. The legislation proposed by 22 Republican senators calling for sanctions against Taliban and their foreign backers was an indication of the sentiment in the US.

Mr Iftikhar said: “While the views being expressed by lawmakers and experts during these (congressional) hearings do not necessarily reflect the United States’ official position, they are a matter of concern, and are nonetheless inconsistent with the reality of the ongoing cooperation between Pakistan and the US on Afghanistan.”

The spokesman emphasised the need for a relationship that took into account the interests of both countries. He noted that the two countries had multiple shared interests.

He said that during Ms Sherman’s meetings in Islamabad the two sides would exchange views on all issues of mutual interest including bilateral relations and the regional situation.

The visiting US official will meet Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa. She is also expected to call on Prime Minister Imran Khan.

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Next elections will be held through EVMs at all costs: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan said Thursday that the next general elections would be held through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at all costs.

“We will give overseas Pakistanis the right to vote, therefore, they should be ready," the premier said while addressing PTI’s core committee on Thursday.

During the meeting, the premier directed the committee members to complete the ongoing development projects soon and inform people in their respective constituencies about the progress.

The prime minister, shedding light on other matters, said: “Inflation is a worldwide issue and Pakistan has less inflation as compared to other countries."

In a meeting with an MQM-P delegation earlier in the day, the premier had said that EVMs will bring transparency to the election process.

“There is a need to raise awareness about the positive effects of the electronic voting machines on the electoral process in Pakistan,” the prime minister had emphasised.

On Monday, the Pakistan Democratic Movement's (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had said that his party will not accept the government's decision to introduce electoral reforms.

"We will not accept electoral reforms handed over to us by thieves," Fazl had said while addressing a press conference in Peshawar.

In late September, the PTI-led government had welcomed the Opposition's readiness to discuss electoral reforms with the Centre, days after a committee from both houses — Senate and National Assembly — had been formed to address the matter.

Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry, addressing a post-cabinet press conference in Islamabad, had said the committee should move in the right direction to resolve the matter and not waste time.

The information minister said the electronic voting machine (EVM) and i-voting were a crucial part of the reforms.

The decision to form the committee was decision was made during a meeting of Opposition lawmakers with National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and other government lawmakers, a statement on the Lower House's Twitter handle had said.

"It was agreed that a committee comprising members from both the Houses would be constituted to work on various issues related to #electoralreforms," the statement said.

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Regular engagement with US beneficial for both countries: Pakistan

The Foreign Office on Thursday emphasised the need for regular engagement with the United States as US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman reached here for talks on bilateral ties and Afghanistan situation.

Foreign Office spokesman Asim Iftikhar, at the weekly media briefing, said: “Close and regular engagement between Pakistan and the United States has always been mutually beneficial and effective for stability in South Asia.”

Ties between Pakistan and US got off to a rough start under President Joe Biden, who assumed presidency in January. The new US president has remained reluctant to personally engage Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The absence of a telephone call between Mr Biden and Mr Khan has come to symbolise the irritants in the ties that have been marred by mutual mistrust. However, Washington has kept the channel of communications with Pakistan open at officials’ level in view of the latter’s importance for its interests in Afghanistan.

According to AFP, Ms Sherman offered her condolences to the families affected by the earthquake that struck parts of Balochistan on Thursday morning, leaving at least 20 people dead.

Ms Sherman’s visit follows a trip by CIA Director William Burns to Pakistan last month.

“There is a desire on the part of Pakistan, and I believe on part of US as well, to make this relationship broad-based and forward looking, moving away from looking at it mostly from the perspective of Afghanistan,” Mr Iftikhar said.

The developments in Afghanistan since the completion of the withdrawal of troops have widened the gulf between the two countries.

Pakistan is being held responsible for America’s Afghanistan predicament in Washington. The legislation proposed by 22 Republican senators calling for sanctions against Taliban and their foreign backers was an indication of the sentiment in the US.

Mr Iftikhar said: “While the views being expressed by lawmakers and experts during these (congressional) hearings do not necessarily reflect the United States’ official position, they are a matter of concern, and are nonetheless inconsistent with the reality of the ongoing cooperation between Pakistan and the US on Afghanistan.”

The spokesman emphasised the need for a relationship that took into account the interests of both countries. He noted that the two countries had multiple shared interests.

He said that during Ms Sherman’s meetings in Islamabad the two sides would exchange views on all issues of mutual interest including bilateral relations and the regional situation.

The visiting US official will meet Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa. She is also expected to call on Prime Minister Imran Khan.

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Next elections will be held through EVMs at all costs: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan said Thursday that the next general elections would be held through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at all costs.

“We will give overseas Pakistanis the right to vote, therefore, they should be ready," the premier said while addressing PTI’s core committee on Thursday.

During the meeting, the premier directed the committee members to complete the ongoing development projects soon and inform people in their respective constituencies about the progress.

The prime minister, shedding light on other matters, said: “Inflation is a worldwide issue and Pakistan has less inflation as compared to other countries."

In a meeting with an MQM-P delegation earlier in the day, the premier had said that EVMs will bring transparency to the election process.

“There is a need to raise awareness about the positive effects of the electronic voting machines on the electoral process in Pakistan,” the prime minister had emphasised.

On Monday, the Pakistan Democratic Movement's (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had said that his party will not accept the government's decision to introduce electoral reforms.

"We will not accept electoral reforms handed over to us by thieves," Fazl had said while addressing a press conference in Peshawar.

In late September, the PTI-led government had welcomed the Opposition's readiness to discuss electoral reforms with the Centre, days after a committee from both houses — Senate and National Assembly — had been formed to address the matter.

Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry, addressing a post-cabinet press conference in Islamabad, had said the committee should move in the right direction to resolve the matter and not waste time.

The information minister said the electronic voting machine (EVM) and i-voting were a crucial part of the reforms.

The decision to form the committee was decision was made during a meeting of Opposition lawmakers with National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and other government lawmakers, a statement on the Lower House's Twitter handle had said.

"It was agreed that a committee comprising members from both the Houses would be constituted to work on various issues related to #electoralreforms," the statement said.

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Rabi ul Awal moon sighted, Eid Milad un Nabi to fall on October 19

The moon for the holy month of Rabi ul Awal has been sighted in Pakistan, with the Eid Milad un Nabi (PBUH) falling on October 19.

The development came after Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad chaired the meeting of the zonal committee at the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Kohsar Block, Pak Secretariat in Islamabad.

The rest of the zonal/ district committees met at their respective provincial/ district headquarters. Quoting astronomical considerations, Azad had said the chances of sighting the new crescent Thursday evening were "very bright".

The new crescent was born on crossing conjunction point at 6:06 Pakistan Standard Time (PST) on Wednesday.

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NCOC to contact people avoiding Covid vaccination

While over 87 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered across the country, the National Com­mand and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Wednesday decided to approach unvaccinated people and convince them to get themselves vaccinated.

Main target will be the districts which are lagging behind others in terms of percentage of vaccinated population.

Meanwhile, it has been observed that the lowest number of Covid-19 cases was reported during the last three months and national positivity rate remained at 2.6 per cent.

In a statement, the NCOC said that it had devised a comprehensive plan with the collaboration of the National Database and Registration Authority and district administrations to target tehsils which were lagging behind others in terms of vaccination.

“By using the information technology, unvaccinated people will be traced and approached to convince them for vaccination. The goal is to ensure that maximum number of people are vaccinated at the earliest,” it stated.

The NCOC urged masses to get themselves vaccinated so that the country would return to normalcy.

An official of the Ministry of National Health Services, who is not authorised to speak on record, hoped that majority of people would not avoid vaccination if they were approached by district administrations and maybe by police at a later stage.

“It is psyche of the people that they immediately follow the instructions if they come to know that district administration and police are keeping an eye on them. It will help us increase the number of vaccinated people,” he said.

The data of the NCOC shows that over 62 million people have been partially vaccinated and over 31m fully vaccinated. A number of people were vaccinated out of the country and registered in Pakistan.

The NCOC data shared on Wednesday showed that 1,212 persons were infected and 39 died due to complications caused by infection in a single day.

Moreover, the number of active cases was 44,828 and 3,212 patients were admitted to hospitals across the country as of Oct 6.

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