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Daily Mirror Pakistan, G 1/2 P&T Colony Gizri Road Clifton Karachi, Karachi (2025)

27/10/2022

PTI leader Faisal Vawda on Wednesday claimed that journalist Arshad Sharif’s murder was “pre-planned” and “conspired in Pakistan”, adding that the evidence of the crime has been erased.

Sharif was shot dead in Kenya allegedly by the local police on Sunday night, with an official police statement later expressing “regrets on the unfortunate incident” and saying an investigation was underway.

Initially, Kenyan media quoted the local police as saying Sharif was shot dead by police in a case of “mistaken identity”.

However, amid widespread condemnation and condolences, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Tuesday that a judicial commission would be formed to probe the journalist’s killing.
In a press conference at the Islamabad Press Club today, Vawda vowed to reveal the truth behind Sharif’s killing. “No evidence or Arshad’s mobile or laptop will be found because they have been erased.

“This is a cold-blooded planned murder,” he alleged, saying that he was in contact with the journalist since the day Sharif left the country.
“It is being said that around 20 bullets were shot and Arshad Sharif was killed. But this did not happen. According to me, he was shot from inside the car or close range. He received 2 bullets, in the head and chest, not 20 bullets.”

Vawda claimed that the story regarding a child’s kidnapping surrounding the journalist’s murder was false, saying that if a child was present in the car, why would the police open fire.

“This was cold planned brutal murder just of Arshad Sharif in this car, not anyone else.”

The PTI leader said that he won’t name the people involved in the crime. “I have made a video and have given names of those people […] I have given those names internationally. I have given millions of dollars. I have a clear message, if I am shot and killed then you’ll be killed too.”
He went on to claim that the “conspiracy [regarding the journalist’s murder] began when FIRs (first information reports) were lodged against Arshad Sharif”, alleging that the journalist was not ready to leave the country.

“The conspirators scared him and made him desperate to leave the country. He then reached Dubai and it was said that the establishment or an unnamed institution put pressure to get him out […] but this is also false and a lie.

“He stayed in Dubai as per the visa limit, when it expired then he had to leave. The diversion to London was told but he didn’t go there,” Vawda claimed.

He said that Arshad Sharif was steadfast in his stance and no one could buy him. “In the coming days I will uncover all the curtains. I have told my family if something happens to me then as gifts you will get their bodies too.

“No normal person could have sent Arshad Sharif to Kenya. Who hid him and was in contact with him in Kenya? Behind it are those conspirators and liars who want to break the country, break my party and damage this country,” he alleged.

Vawda also claimed that the establishment had been in contact with Arshad Sharif. “He was ready to come back to Pakistan. He had no issue. Then fear was set in that let’s get him killed so the evidence will be gone and fire will erupt.

“Now you all will ask me, how do I know all this and why. When Arshad Sharif went from this country, from that day to the last days, I was in contact with him and my phone is available for forensic analysis,” he said.

The PTI leader continued that the players of the “conspiracy in Pakistan” were present inside the country and were “internationally connected”.

“Arshad Sharif was murdered. He had no danger from here, the establishment which we take the name of, had positive contact with him and I was part of that,” he further claimed and warned that he would take the names of the perpetrators in the upcoming days.

“Establishment has no role in this killing, the role of the one will be apparent in coming days,” he reiterated.

25/10/2022

PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday announced that his party’s long march towards Islamabad for the country’s “haqeeqi azadi” would commence from Lahore’s Liberty Chowk on October 28, Friday.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, flanked by the party’s top leadership, the former prime minister said the march will begin from the Liberty Chowk at 11am and he will lead it himself.
“This is our march for haqeeqi azaadi and it has no timeframe. We will reach Islamabad from the GT Road and the nation will come to Islamabad from across Pakistan.

“I am predicting this will be the biggest sea of people in the history of the country,” Imran claimed.

Going on, he clarified that the long march was “not politics” but a “war for the future of Pakistan.

“This is something way beyond politics, it is a war for freedom from these thieves that have been imposed over us. This jihad will decide where the country will go.”
Elaborating on the demands of the march, the former premier said that he only wanted one thing: “The decision of who will head the country belongs to the public.”

“We want that the people make the decision. Today, I am appealing to the entire nation that you will have to decide […] do we want to go on this way of becoming a free country or serve these thieves.”

In response to a question, he said that the protest would be peaceful. “We are not going to break the law or go into the Red Zone. Whatever will happen in Islamabad, it will be according to what the courts have permitted us.

“We have given instructions to everyone to remain peaceful and we will just show where the nation stands.”
At the outset of the press conference, the PTI chief said he had planned the march earlier. “We held a peaceful protest on May 25 but they inflicted violence on us. And if I had not called it off then the next day there really would’ve been discord and blood in the country,” he said.

“Hence, to save my country and prevent chaos, I called it off,” he added.

Imran went on to say that he wanted to clarify the purpose of the march because he was told that he was being irresponsible as the country was going through a tough time.

“I want to remind the nation that when we came to power in 2018, Pakistan was bankrupt and facing the biggest foreign deficit in history. Our reserves were around $9 billion, our trade deficit was three times more,” he said, giving an overview of his government’s economic performance.

Imran recalled that his government was toppled through a foreign conspiracy and thieves were imposed over the country. “And then, when we won the July by-elections, there was a rain of cases lodged against us. Some 24 FIRs (first information reports) were registered against me. Cases were made against all our top leadership.”

23/10/2022

In what was an instant World Cup classic that had its heroes, its villains, last-over drama and everything in between, India somehow managed to beat Pakistan by four wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

The biggest of the heroes undoubtedly was Virat Kohli, who scored an unbeaten 82 off 53 that included a six in the final over when 16 were needed.

Kohli, along with Hardik Pandya, helped their team recover from 31 for four to somehow drag it over the line.

The climax of the match was the final over, which was given to left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz on a night where spin was a liability for both the sides.
Asked to defend 15 runs, Nawaz got a wicket off the first ball, and avoided a boundary off the next two deliveries as well before bowling a no-ball that was smacked for a six by Kohli. He got another wicket late in the over but that proved insufficient as Kohli had done the job by then.

Earlier, Pakistan posted a decent recovery after an almost nightmare start that saw both their star openers perish early. Iftikhar Ahmed and Shan Masood’s half-centuries helped the Green Shirts post 159-8 runs.

After inviting Pakistan to bat first, Indian seamers found plenty of bounce and movement, just as they had in their first encounter during the recent Asia Cup.

Babar Azam was out on golden duck and Mohammad Rizwan followed him back in the dugout soon after. Shan Masood played the anchor and hung around till the end but the real star was the much-criticised Iftikhar Ahmed, whose 34-ball 51 at one point threatened to unclench India’s grip on the innings.
However, once he fell, the leakage of wickets resumed, with no one sticking with Masood for long enough. The one-down lefty finished with 52 runs off 42 balls. A 16-run cameo at the very end by Shaheen Afridi was invaluable in boosting the score.

21/10/2022

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified PTI chief Imran Khan for five years under Article 63(1)(p) for misdeclaration in the Toshakhana reference on Friday.

Article 63 (1) (p) of the Constitution states that an individual is, for the time being, disqualified from being elected or chosen as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (parliament) or of a provincial assembly under any law for the time being in force.

A four-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja, announced the verdict at the ECP Secretariat in Islamabad.

The decision was taken unanimously by the five-member bench. However, the member from Punjab was not present for today’s announcement.
According to the verdict, criminal proceedings will be initiated against Imran for misdeclaration.

Soon after the verdict was announced, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, speaking to the media outside the ECP, asked the public to come out of their homes “for their rights”.

He called the ECP’s ruling a “slap on the face of 220 million people” and said, “Today is the beginning of the revolution”.

“Just anyone cannot disqualify Imran Khan. Only the public can do that,” the PTI leader said.
He alleged that today’s verdict was “written by Nawaz Sharif and signed by his servants.

“People disapprove of this decision.”

Alongside him, PTI leader Shahbaz Gill said the PTI would approach every forum against the verdict. “Imran has been disqualified from just one seat, not politics,” he added.

Strict security measures were in place at the ECP ahead of the ruling.
Prior to the ECP’s announcement, television footage showed PTI leaders climbing over the gate to reach the commission’s secretariat.

The reference was filed in August against Imran by the coalition government, for “not sharing details” of Toshakhana gifts and proceeds from their alleged sale. Lawmakers from the Pakistan Democratic Movement — the ruling alliance — had submitted the reference to National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, who had subsequently forwarded it to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja for further action.

Established in 1974, the Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries.

According to Toshakhana rules, gifts/presents and other such materials received by persons to whom these rules apply shall be reported to the Cabinet Division.

However, the PTI, while in government, had been reluctant to disclose details of the gifts presented to Imran since he assumed office in 2018, maintaining that doing so would jeopardise international ties, even as the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) ordered it to do so.

But later, in a written reply submitted to the ECP on September 8, Imran had admitted to selling at least four presents he had received during his tenure as the prime minister.

The former premier, in his reply, had maintained that the sale of the gifts that he had procured from the state treasury after paying Rs21.56 million fetched about Rs58m. One of the gifts included a graff wristwatch, a pair of cuff links, an expensive pen and a ring while the other three gifts included four Rolex watches.
Security arrangements
Strict security measures were in place at the ECP’s office ahead of the ruling on Friday, with police, Rangers and Frontier Corps personnel deployed on site in large numbers.

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon also visited the office to review security arrangements.

On Thursday, the ECP sent a letter to Islamabad police, requesting “foolproof security” inside and outside the watchdog’s premises for the full day in order to “avoid any untoward incident”. The letter also requested that two security personnel in civil dress and a traffic warden be provided as well.

The ECP stressed that all necessary security arrangements be completed, particularly inside the ECP secretariat’s building, and the matter was treated as “most urgent”.

PTI criticises ECP ahead of ruling
Ahead of the verdict, PTI leaders intensified their criticism of the ECP, repeating their allegations of the electoral watchdog being partial against them.

Hours before the ruling, Imran’s lawyer, Barrister Ali Zafar addressed a press conference in Islamabad and outlined legal points in favour of the PTI chief.

20/10/2022

The much-anticipated T20 World Cup clash between Pakistan and India on Sunday (Oct 23) in Melbourne could become a casualty of bad weather Down Under as forecasts for the day suggest strong chances of downpours.

According to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, there are 95 per cent chances of rain in Melbourne on Oct 23, most likely in the afternoon and evening. The match is scheduled to start at 7pm (Australia time) and 1pm (PST).
Alongside Pakistan-India game, the Saturday’s game between Australia and New Zealand also faces a looming threat of being washed out or affected by rain.

Earlier, the India-New Zealand warm-up match in Brisbane on Wednesday was abandoned without a single ball bowled due to incessant rain while the Pakistan-Afghanistan match also ended in similar fashion after the Green Shirts completed its innings.

A minimum of five overs is required to constitute a match and there are no reserve days during the group stages, but there are for the semi-finals and final, according to ESPNcricinfo.

Pakistan and India will lock horns at the MCG on Oct 23, a day after Australia begin their title defence against New Zealand in Sydney — a repeat of the 2021 final in Dubai where Aaron Finch’s team won their maiden crown.
Pakistan recorded their first win over India in World Cups last year in Dubai when they hammered Virat Kohli’s team.

20/10/2022

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will announce the verdict in the Toshakhana disqualification reference filed against former prime minister Imran Khan on Friday (tomorrow) at 2pm.

According to a notice issued today, ECP ordered all the relevant parties or their counsels to appear before the electoral watchdog at its secretariat in Islamabad.

The ECP also sent a letter to the Islamabad police requesting “foolproof security” inside and outside the watchdog’s premises for the full day in order to “avoid any untoward incident”. The letter also requested that two security personnel in civil dress and a traffic warden be provided as well.

The ECP stressed that all necessary security arrangements be completed, particularly inside the ECP Secretariat building, and the matter is treated as “most urgent”.
The ECP had reserved its verdict in the Toshakhana case on September 19.

The reference was filed against the PTI chairman by the coalition government, for “not sharing details” of Toshakhana gifts and proceeds from their alleged sale.

Established in 1974, the Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries.

According to Toshakhana rules, gifts/presents and other such materials received by persons to whom these rules apply shall be reported to the Cabinet Division.
However, the PTI, while in government, had been reluctant to disclose details of the gifts presented to Imran Khan since he assumed office in 2018, maintaining that doing so would jeopardise international ties, even as the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) ordered it to do so.

On August 4, lawmakers from the Pakistan Democratic Movement — which is part of the ruling alliance — filed a reference for the PTI chief’s disqualification from public office under articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution over his hesitance to share the details of Toshakhana gifts.

They submitted the reference to the National Assembly speaker who subsequently forwarded it to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja for further action.

In its hearing on Aug 29, the ECP had sought a written reply from Imran by Sep 8. In his reply, the PTI chief had admitted to having sold at least four presents he had received during his tenure as the prime minister of Pakistan.
journalist Rana Abrar Khalid and directed the Cabinet Division to “provide the requested information about the gifts received by Prime Minister Imran Khan from foreign head of states, head of governments and other foreign dignitaries … description/specification of each gift, information about the gifts retained by the PM and the Rules under which gifts thus received are retained by him”.

The Cabinet Division was told to share the required information within 10 working days and upload it on the official website as well.

Subsequently, the Cabinet Division had challenged the PIC order in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), claiming that it was “illegal, without lawful authority”. The then-government took the stance that the disclosure of any information related to Toshakhana jeopardises international ties.

In April this year, the IHC had directed Deputy Attorney General Arshad Kayani to ensure the implementation of the PIC order to publicise details of the gifts presented to former prime minister Imran by heads of states since he assumed office in August 2018.

17/10/2022

Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Monday stopped short of giving a final date for his planned march toward Islamabad, saying that he was giving some more time to the government, but warned that he would not delay it beyond October.

The PTI leader made the remarks during a press conference in Islamabad, a day after his party stunned its rivals and won a majority of seats in by-polls.

“I am giving them (government) time just for the sake of the country,” he said. “I repeat that they still have time to announce elections, and if they don’t, I will begin my march, and my preparations are almost complete.”

Imran accused his political rival and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif of attempting to delay elections, saying “he (Sharif) is afraid to got to polls because of the PTI’s constantly growing popularity.”

17/10/2022

Harry Brook and Sam Curran were the architects of England’s convincing victory over Pakistan in a T20 World Cup warmup game in Brisbane on Monday.

Pakistan posted 160 at the loss of eight wickets, with Shan Masood top scoring with 39 runs. No other batsman could play a noticeable innings as pacer Mohammad Wasim scored 26 runs, followed by Iftikhar Ahmed (22) and opener Haider Ali (18).

The match was reduced to 19 overs each due to rain.

15/10/2022

United States President Joe Biden said Pakistan may be “one of the most dangerous nations in the world” as the country has “nuclear weapons without any cohesion”, it emerged on Saturday.

He made the remarks while addressing a Democratic congressional campaign committee reception on Thursday.

A transcript of the address, published on the White House’s website, quoted Biden as saying: “… And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion.”

The US president’s remarks were made in the context of the changing geopolitical situation globally.
He said the world was changing rapidly and countries were rethinking their alliances. “And the truth of the matter is — I genuinely believe this — that the world is looking to us. Not a joke. Even our enemies are looking to us to figure out how we figure this out, what we do.”

There was a lot at stake, Biden said, emphasising that the US had the capacity to lead the world to a place it had never been before.

“Did any of you ever think you’d have a Russian leader, since the Cuban Missile Crisis, threatening the use of tactical nuclear weapons that would — could only kill three, four thousand people and be limited to make a point?

“Did anybody think we’d be in a situation where China is trying to figure out its role relative to Russia and relative to India and relative to Pakistan?”
Talking about his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, the US president termed him as a man who knew what he wanted but had an “enormous” array of problems.

“How do we handle that? How do we handle that relative to what’s going on in Russia? And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” Biden said.

Dawn.com has reached out to the Foreign Office for comment.

‘Responsible nuclear state’
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, in whose administration Pakistan became an atomic power, also weighed in on the matter, saying Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state that is perfectly capable of safeguarding its national interest whilst respecting international law and practices.
Talking about his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, the US president termed him as a man who knew what he wanted but had an “enormous” array of problems.

“How do we handle that? How do we handle that relative to what’s going on in Russia? And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” Biden said.

Dawn.com has reached out to the Foreign Office for comment.

‘Responsible nuclear state’
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, in whose administration Pakistan became an atomic power, also weighed in on the matter, saying Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state that is perfectly capable of safeguarding its national interest whilst respecting international law and practices.
Meanwhile, leaders of the PTI, which has long claimed that the US was behind a regime-change operation against their ousted government, seized on Biden’s comments.

PTI chief Imran Khan said he had two questions regarding the US president’s statement. “On what info has Biden reached this unwarranted conclusion on our nuclear capability when, having been PM, I know we have one of the most secure nuclear command & control systems?

“Unlike the US which has been involved in wars across the world, when has Pakistan shown aggression esp post-nuclearisation,” he asked.
The ex-premier claimed that Biden’s statement showed the “total failure of the imported government’s foreign policy and its claims of a reset of relations with the US”.

“Is this the ‘reset’? This government has broken all records for incompetence,” Imran tweeted, adding that he feared the incumbent government would end up compromising national security

14/10/2022

Mohammad Nawaz struck an unbeaten 38 from 22 balls to lift Pakistan to a five-wicket win over New Zealand with three balls remaining in the final of the New Zealand Twenty20 Tri-Series.

After his 45 from 20 balls in Pakistan’s seven-wicket win over Bangladesh a day earlier, Nawaz established himself as key member of the Pakistan middle order heading into the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia.
The final see-sawed through both innings: New Zealand was on target for a more substantial score before faltering against Pakistan’s late bowling and finishing with 163-7. Pakistan made a solid start, then also wavered at times before Nawaz provided the final impetus for the win.
He found a dependable partner in Iftikhar Ahmed, who made 25 from 14 balls in an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 36.
“I just backed myself yesterday and today on the basis of what I’ve done in the nets,” Nawaz said. “I had belief in myself and I was backing myself to go in with a clear mind. We are looking forward to the World Cup now.” Pakistan struggled at times and went 26 balls between the fourth and eighth overs without being able to hit a boundary in the face of tight bowling from Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Blair Tickner. After 10 overs it was 64-1, 19 runs behind New Zealand at the same stage.
Nawaz began to boost the scoring with two fours from Tickner’s bowling in the 13th over. In the 15th over Pakistan took 25 runs including three sixes from the bowling of Ish Sodhi and that helped tip the match.
Pakistan needed 41 runs from the last five overs with seven wickets in hand. It had the upper hand when Haider Ali hit boundaries from the first two balls of the 16th over. New Zealand fought back, claiming the wickets of Haider who scored 31 from 15 balls and Asif Ali (1) in quick succession.
Earlier, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson made a timely return to form with an innings of 59 from 38 balls. Williamson recently has been struggling for form while battling a chronic elbow injury. His previous best score in the series had been 31 in New Zealand’s first match against Pakistan and it had been seven innings since he last passed 50.
New Zealand played without some front-line players including express pace bowler Lockie Ferguson and allrounders Mitchell Santner and Daryl Mitchell.
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“It was a great game of cricket,” Williamson said. “Pakistan are a very good side and credit for the way they turned momentum. You always want 20 more runs but I thought the total was competitive. The wicket was on the lower side and the wind was strong on the longer side of the ground but again credit for the way the Pakistan came out and changed momentum.”

13/10/2022

Sri Lanka on Thursday qualified for the final of the Women’s Asia Cup 2022 after beating Pakistan by one run in a thrilling semi-final at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Bangladesh on Thursday.

Requiring nine runs in the last over, and with three runs required to win off the final ball, Nida Dar was run-out while attempting to take a double, as Pakistan managed to score 121 for six in the 20-over match, a statement issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said.
With 123 required to win, the opening pair of Muneeba Ali and Sidra Amin provided a solid 31-run start to the innings. Left-handed Muneeba scored 18 off 10 balls, hitting three fours, before getting run out on the first ball of the fourth over.

After Muneeba’s departure, captain Bismah Maroof joined Sidra and the pair added a 16-run partnership for the second wicket.

Sidra (nine off 20, 1x4) returned to the hut during a reverse flick off Inoka Ranaweera on the last ball of the seventh over with 47 runs on the board.

In the batting powerplay, Pakistan scored 46 for one and struck six fours. However, the team found itself in a spot of bother after losing Omaima Sohail (10, 14b) in the 11th over.

At the crucial juncture of the match, Bismah and Nida managed to take Pakistan to 107, with Bismah getting dismissed for 42 off 41, studded with four fours. The pair stitched 42 runs for the fourth wicket.

Bismah’s wicket gave a ray of hope to Sri Lanka and they restricted Pakistan to 121. Nida scored run-a-ball 26 and struck one four.

For Sri Lanka, Inoka Ranweera bagged two wickets for 17 runs.

Earlier, after opting to bat first, Sri Lanka managed to score 122 for six in their 20 overs, on the back of a 50-run partnership between Harsh*tha Samarawickrama (35, 41b, 1x4) and Nilakshi de Silva (14, 27b).
Opening batter Anushka Sanjeewani was another notable run-getter with 26 off 21 balls, which included one four and one six.

Nashra Sandhu was the most successful bowler for the winning team with match figures of 4-0-17-3. Spinners Sadia Iqbal and Nida and right-arm fast Aiman Anwer scooped one wicket each.

Sri Lanka will now meet India in Women’s Asia Cup final on October 15.

13/10/2022

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday was heckled by unidentified people at the Dulles International Airport in Washington DC after he landed in the US capital ahead of important meetings with global lending institutions.

Dar is expected to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. He is also expected to hold direct talks with their officials.

Videos widely shared on social media today showed the minister accompanied by Pakistan’s Ambassador to US Masood Khan and other officials jeered near the airport’s arrivals. In the clips, the hecklers can be heard chanting slogans of “chor chor” directed toward Dar.
In one of the videos, a man can be heard shouting: “You’re a liar. You’re a chor”.

In his retort, Dar says: “You’re a liar.”

Mani Butt, the president of PML-N’s Virginia chapter — who accompanied Dar — can be seen exchanging profanities with the hecklers.
This is not the first time federal ministers have been jeered at public places on their trips abroad and even within the country. Last month, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb was heckled at a coffee shop in London. Earlier, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal was harassed by PTI supporters at a restaurant.

In April, a group of Pakistani pilgrims accosted, heckled and chanted slogans against PM Shehbaz and his entourage at the Masjid-i-Nabwi in Madina during their three-day visit to Saudi Arabia.

Politicians and other religious figures had condemned the incident and some had blamed the PTI.

12/10/2022

KARACHI: Fast approaching the twilight of her career, Nida Dar is not relenting. Her sense of purpose is so strong, that carrying the Pakistan women’s cricket team on her shoulders — a team which is almost always subject to criticism — doesn’t ever seem to tire her.

At 35, the all-rounder’s rescue efforts continue to drag the team out of danger and so has been the case in the ongoing Women’s T20 Asia Cup.

Into the competition’s semi-finals now, Pakistan are once again dreaming of winning a major trophy, which has eluded them most of the times. Nida wants to win it to inspire girls back home, who aspire to play the sport for the country.

Only Sri Lanka stand in Pakistan’s way to the final. If they make it, they are most likely to face arch-rivals India, who will play Thailand in the second semi-final.
Having stunned a strong Indian side in the tournament’s league round, Pakistan are believing they can do it again in the potential blockbuster final.

“The confidence that helped us beat them [India] in the previous match; we will try to repeat it,” Nida told Dawn on Monday. “Bringing the Asia Cup Trophy home will pave the path for many girls and personally, it will be a milestone.”

Following a disappointing campaign in the Commonwealth Games earlier this year, Pakistan’s woes were glaring when they were stunned by Thailand three matches into the Asia Cup.

It was from a point as low as that that Pakistan bounced back to beat India and reignite their trophy hopes. Nida was in the midst of it all.
“There are a lot of regions where the girls don’t get the chance to play, and hopefully that will change now.”

For the change Nida hoped to see, it will take the national women’s team to graduate to the next level, which can happen if Pakistan end up taking the Asia Cup.

Nida was once again crucial, helping Pakistan finish the league round on a high with a win over Sri Lanka on Tuesday after highlighting the importance of smaller goals over bigger dreams a day earlier.

“We are moving forward match-by-match because we tend to perform well when we set smaller goals for ourselves,” she said.

It needs to be seen if Pakistan hold their nerve to achieve the remaining two smaller goals and fulfill the dream which can potentially change the scope of the women’s game in the country. Nida, as always, is ready to take responsibility.

“Being a senior player, I think it’s my responsibility to win matches for Pakistan, because I know that can inspire many girls back home.”

Daily Mirror Pakistan

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