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Baber Nehal elected chairman APRA

DNA

Karachi: Baber Nehal elected as Chairman of All Pakistan Restaurant Association (APRA) and Muhammad Ilyas elected as Senior Vice Chairman for the year 2020-21.

According to the APRA announcement, Abdul Qadir Mir was elected as Vice Chairman, said a press release on Monday.

The other members of executive committee are Masood Ahmed Kalia, Omer Habib, Mohsin and Sheikh Muhammad Tehseen.

In the General Body meeting, the annual accounts were approved and the new Office Bearers assumed their responsibilities.

‘Imran Khan declared better PM of Pakistan in last 15 years’

DUBAI : An online survey conducted by Khaleej Magazine has revealed that Imran Khan is a better prime minister as compared to the previous premiers of Pakistan.

A poll conducted in this regard reveals Imran Khan is the number one choice of the people in Pakistan and has been declared as a better PM in the last 15 years.

According to results, more than 93% voted for PM Imran Khan, while former prime minister Nawaz Sharif secured 4.7% votes and Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf secured 0.8% votes.

Earlier this year, the business community in Pakistan had expressed its optimism for improvement in the country’s economic conditions in near future, according to the first edition of the Business Optimism Index released by Dun & Bradstreet, a global database and risk management company.

According to the index, the database company included 400 to 500 companies from the country during the global survey.

The global survey carried out for the index’ quarterly report include companies from all economic sectors of the country. “Around 75 of the companies that participated in the survey were foreign-based and they have appreciated the idea of bringing investment to Pakistan,” it had said

Asif Zardari, Faryal Talpur indicted in mega money-laundering case

ISLAMABAD : An accountability court on Monday indicted former president and PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and his sister, Faryal Talpur, in a mega money-laundering case, with the accused pleading not guilty.

Justice Azam Khan presided over the hearing in the Islamabad court where Zardari, accompanied by his daughter Asifa, and Talpur were presented. However, the PPP leader’s lawyer, Farooq H Naik, was not there reportedly due to his commitment at the Supreme Court.

The court also indicted Anwar Majeed, the head of the Omni Group and another accused in the case who appeared through a video link. Majeed, however, pleaded not guilty.

The court further indicted Majeed’s son, Abdul Ghani, who was present in the courtroom and also pleaded not guilty.

Lawyers of two others accused in the case, including former Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) chairperson Hussain Lawai and banker Taha Raza, were given a copy of the charge sheet after being indicted by the court.

It should be noted that at the last hearing, the court had dismissed Zardari’s pleas in the fake accounts cases, as well as three corruption references, and ordered he be indicted, noting that he could not be acquitted.

On the other hand, the PPP co-chairperson challenged the mega money-laundering and Park Lane reference trials in the Islamabad High Court, seeking acquittal in both.

Armenia-Azerbaijan clashes kill 23

Twenty-three people have been killed during clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Nagorno-Karabakh region is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but controlled by ethnic Armenians.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pledged support for Azerbaijan, urging the world community to stand with the country in its battle against invasion and cruelty.

Iran, which borders both Azerbaijan and Armenia, has also offered to broker peace talks.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also expressed his great concern over the clashes and called for both sides to stop fighting.

PCB announces criteria-based contracts for domestic players

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced 2020-21 contracts for 192 domestic players.

10 players have been awarded the A Plus category out of 192. The players comprise leading performers from the 2019-20 first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and players part of the national squad but without a central or emerging contract.

These players are Bilal Asif (Central Punjab), Fahim Ashraf (Central Punjab), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Imran Butt (Balochistan), Imran Khan Snr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Kashif Bhatti (Balochistan), Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab), Nauman Ali (Northern), Sohail Khan (Sindh) and Zafar Gohar (Central Punjab).

Pakistan men’s team head coach and chief selector selected players for the A Plus category. “I want to congratulate the 10 players for securing the newly-introduced A Plus category contracts, which is a reward for their efforts and hard work in the 2019-20 season that either earned them recognition in domestic cricket or places in the Pakistan men’s national team,” he said.
“I accept there will be a few players who will feel hard done but we could only pick a maximum of 10 players in this category. I want to assure every high-performing player that he will remain available for selection in the side and depending on how he performs in the 2020-21 season, will be in line for an increment next year,” he added.

Category A comprises 38 players, including 10 best performers from the last season or the ones who have previously represented Pakistan at the international level.
Category B includes 47 players who have played T20Is, are amongst the top 10 performers of the National T20 Cup (First XI) 2019-20, had a good first-class season in 2019-20, or have represented Pakistan Shaheens/Emerging since 2019.

Category C includes 71 players who either featured in PSL 2019 and 2020, were amongst the performers of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (First and Second XI) 2019-20 performers, top 10 performers of the Pakistan Cup 2018-19, best batsman/bowler of Patron’s Trophy Grade-II 2018-19 or have represented Pakistan in age-group cricket.

Category D boasts all the other 26 players who are part of the six Cricket Association sides.

Director High Performance, Nadeem Khan said he has always believed and emphasized on criteria and performance-based contracts. He further explained the fragmentation of the categories.

“While setting up the criteria, we have also moved from a fixed slab retainer structure to a category-based retainer structure because I think it is fair on leading or experienced players to be treated and paid differently to a beginner or a starter. Furthermore, this is also consistent with how we offer central contracts to our elite cricketers.

“Through this model, we have also ensured we retain and protect our age-group cricketers, who in the past have dropped out either due to non-selection or non-recognition. These eight U19 cricketers who played in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020 and 11 Emerging/Shaheen players will now remain part of the system and will get their opportunities to improve and move in an upward direction.

2020-21 domestic player contract categories with monthly retainers and selection criteria:

A+ Category (10, monthly retainer PKR150,000)

Bilal Asif (Central Punjab), Fahim Ashraf (Central Punjab), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Imran Butt (Balochistan), Imran Khan Snr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Kashif Bhatti (Balochistan), Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab), Nauman Ali (Northern), Sohail Khan (Sindh), Zafar Gohar (Central Punjab)

A Category (38, monthly retainer PKR85,000)

Adnan Akmal (Balochistan), Ahmed Shehzad (Central Punjab), Amir Yamin (Southern Punjab), Anwar Ali (Sindh), Ashfaq Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Asif Ali (Northern), Bilawal Bhatti (Southern Punjab), Ehsan Adil (Central Punjab), Faizan Riaz (Northern), Hammad Azam (Northern), Hasan Ali (Central Punjab), Hussain Talat (Southern Punjab), Imran Farhat (Balochistan), Junaid Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Kamran Akmal (Central Punjab), Khurram Manzoor (Sindh), Mir Hamza (Sindh), Mohammad Asghar (Sindh), Mohammad Irfan (SLA) (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Nawaz (Northern), Mohammad Talha (Balochistan), Musa Khan (Northern), Rahat Ali (Southern Punjab), Raza Hasan (Northern), Saad Ali (Sindh), Saad Nasim (Central Punjab), Sajid Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Salman Butt (Central Punjab), Sami Aslam (Balochistan), Sharjeel Khan (Sindh), Sohaib Maqsood (Southern Punjab), Sohail Tanvir (Northern), Tabish Khan (Sindh), Umar Amin (Northern), Umar Gul (Balochistan), Usman Salahuddin (Central Punjab), Waqas Ahmed (Northern) and Zeeshan Malik (Northern)

B Category (47, monthly retainer PKR75,000)

Abdul Rehman Muzammil (Balochistan), Adeel Malik (Sindh), Adil Amin (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Ahmed Jamal (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Ahsan Ali (Sindh), Akbar-ur-Rehman (Balochistan), Akif Javed (Balochistan), Ali Sarfaraz (Northern), Amad Butt (Balochistan), Awais Zia (Balochistan), Azeem Ghumman (Balochistan), Bismillah Khan (Balochistan), Fahad Iqbal (Sindh), Gulraiz Sadaf (Balochistan), Hasan Mohsin (Sindh), Imran Rafiq (Southern Punjab), Israrullah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Jalat Khan (Balochistan), Jamal Anwar (Northern), Khalid Usman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Asad (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Mohsin (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Saad (Central Punjab), Mukhtar Ahmed (Southern Punjab), Nauman Anwar (Central Punjab), Naved Malik (Northern), Naved Yasin (Southern Punjab), Omair Bin Yousaf (Sindh), Rameez Alam (Southern Punjab), Rameez Aziz (Sindh), Rohail Nazir (Northern), Sahibzada Farhan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Saif Badar (Southern Punjab), Sameen Gul (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), Shoaib Ahmed Minhas (Northern), Taimur Ali (Balochistan), Taj Wali (Balochistan), Umaid Asif (Balochistan), Umar Khan (Southern Punjab), Umar Siddiq (Southern Punjab), Umar Waheed (Northern), Usman Qadir (Central Punjab), Waqas Maqsood (Central Punjab), Zahid Mehmood (Southern Punjab), Zain Abbas (Southern Punjab) and Zohaib Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

C Category (71, monthly retainer PKR65,000)

Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Balochistan), Abdullah Shafiq (Central Punjab), Ahmed Bashir (Central Punjab), Ahmed Safi Abdullah (Central Punjab), Akhtar Shah (Balochistan), Ali Imran (Northern), Ali Shafiq (Southern Punjab), Ali Zaryab (Central Punjab), Ammad Alam (Sindh), Anas Mehmood (Central Punjab), Arshad Iqbal (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Asad Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Ashiq Ali (Sindh), Asif Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Azam Khan (Sindh), Bilawal Iqbal (Central Punjab), Danish Aziz (Sindh), Dilbar Hussain (Southern Punjab), Farhan Khan (Central Punjab), Ghulam Mudassar (Sindh), Gohar Faiz (Balochistan), Hayatullah (Balochistan), Imran Dogar (Central Punjab), Irfan Khan Niazi (Central Punjab), Irfanullah Shah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Jahid Ali (Sindh), Kamran Ghulam (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Khurram Shehzad (Balochistan), Maqbool Ahmed (Southern Punjab), Mehran Ibrahim (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Abbas Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Amir Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Basit (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Haris (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Hasan (Sindh), Mohammad Huraira (Northern), Mohammad Ilyas (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Irfan Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Junaid (Balochistan), Mohammad Mohsin Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Naeem Snr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Taha (Sindh), Mohammad Umair (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Muhammad Akhlaq (Central Punjab), Muhammad Imran (Southern Punjab), Munir Riaz (Northern), Musadiq Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Nabi Gul (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Nasir Nawaz (Northern), Qasim Akram (Central Punjab), Rehan Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Rizwan Hussain (Central Punjab), Saad Khan (Sindh), Saifullah Bangash (Sindh), Salman Ali Agha (Southern Punjab), Salman Irshad (Northern), Sarmad Bhatti (Northern), Shehzad Tareen (Balochistan), Shehzar Mohammad (Sindh), Shiraz Khan (Northern), Sohail Akhtar (Northern), Suleman Shafqat (Central Punjab), Taimur Khan (Balochistan), Tayyab Tahir (Southern Punjab), Umair Masood (Northern), Usama Mir (Balochistan), Waleed Ahmed (Sindh), Zaid Alam (Northern), Zeeshan Ashraf (Southern Punjab) and Zia-ul-Haq (Southern Punjab)

D Category (26, monthly retainer PKR40,000)

Ahsan Baig (Southern Punjab), Ali Usman (Southern Punjab), Anas Mustafa (Southern Punjab), Athar Mehmood (Northern), Atizaz Habib Khan (Central Punjab), Fahad Usman (Central Punjab), Hidayatullah (Balochistan), Ismail Khan (Northern), Mohammad Ali (Central Punjab), Mohammad Rameez Jnr (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Sarwar Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Suleman (Sindh), Mohammad Tariq Khan (Sindh), Mohammad Umar (Sindh), Najeebullah Achakzai (Balochistan), Nihal Mansoor (Northern), Nisar Ahmed (Central Punjab), Rameez Raja Jnr (Quetta, Balochistan), Samiullah Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Saqib Jamil (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shadab Majeed (Northern), Shahid Nawaz (Central Punjab), Shahnawaz (Sindh), Shehbaz Khan (Balochistan), Waqar Hussain (Southern Punjab) and Ziad Khan (Northern).

FM Qureshi, Afghanistan’s reconciliation leader Abdullah discuss Afghan peace process

Islamabad : Talks between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation of Afghanistan Dr. Abdullah Abdullah are underway at the foreign office in Islamabad.

They are discussing the Afghan peace process and matters of mutual interests.

Earlier on arrival at the foreign office, the visiting dignitary also planted a sapling.

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Afghanistan reconciliation council chief Abdullah Abdullah arrives in Islamabad

Islamabad : Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation of Afghanistan Dr. Abdullah Abdullah arrived in Islamabad on Monday on a three-day visit to Pakistan.

Adviser on Commerce Razak Dawood and Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq received him at Nur Khan Airbase.

Abdullah Abdullah is accompanied by a high-level delegation including prominent members of the High Council for National Reconciliation.

During the visit, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah will call on the Prime Minister and President and will also meet with Chairman Senate, Speaker National Assembly, Foreign Minister and other dignitaries.

He will deliver a key-note address at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad and also have interaction with the media.

This is Dr. Abdullah Abdullah’s first visit to Pakistan in his capacity as Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation.

The visit will provide an opportunity for wide-ranging exchange of views on the Afghan peace process and strengthening of Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral relations and people-to-people interaction.

The visit of Dr. Abdullah Abdullah will contribute to further strengthening amity, brotherhood and close cooperation between the two countries.

US embassy resumes students visas from Oct 1

Islamabad, September 28, 2020 – 

The United States Embassy in Islamabad is pleased to announce that beginning on Thursday, October 1, 2020, we will resume student visa services at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and the U.S. Consulate General in Karachi.

We are proud of the long tradition of student exchanges between Pakistan and the United States.  Nearly 8,000 Pakistani students study at universities and colleges across the United States at any given time, and we look forward to welcoming many more who are interested in the American educational experience.

Student visas are a top priority for the U.S. Mission in Pakistan.  We will make every effort to assist student visa applicants as timely and safely as possible.  We have spent the last few months putting measures in place to ensure the health and safety of applicants and our employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.  With that in mind, applicants are asked to remember that masks and social distancing will be required.

We will resume processing for other visa categories as soon as we are able. Applicants may visit our website at http://cdn.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-expeditedappointment.asp to determine if they qualify for an emergency appointment.

For further details and answers to other questions, please visit: https://www.ustraveldocs.com/pk/pk-gen-faq.asp. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/student-visa.html

Primary schools in Balochistan to remain closed for 15 more days: Liaquat Shahwani

QUETTA: Spokesperson Balochistan government Liaquat Shahwani on Monday said that primary schools in the province will remain closed for 15 more days.

Last week, the NCOC had granted permission to enter into the second phase of reopening schools for secondary students across the country.

The academic sessions of secondary students from Class VI to Class VIII resumed in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces from September 23.

Liaquat Shahwani said the decision of delaying the reopening of primary schools has been taken after an increase in coronavirus cases. The deadly infection cases have been reported in universities too.
Primary schools will remain closed for 15 more days and decision to reopen primary classes will be taken later, he added.

It is to be mentioned here with the latest detection of the COVID-19 cases, the number of total cases that have been reported at the educational institutions of Balochistan stands at 406.

Scores of educational institutions have been closed after positives tests in schools, he said.

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