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Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman registers for PSL following IPL snub

Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman has registered for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) draft following his release from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad for the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 30-year-old left-arm pacer, known for his variations and death-over bowling, was acquired by Kolkata for INR 9.20 crore in the IPL mini-auction held in December. He was the only Bangladesh player signed for the season. On Saturday, Kolkata announced his release after receiving instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia cited “recent developments” as the reason, without providing further details. The decision comes amid strained relations between India and Bangladesh, linked to reports of attacks on minority communities in Bangladesh. In response, Bangladesh has banned IPL broadcasts in the country and the Bangladesh Cricket Board has requested the ICC to shift its T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka. Mustafizur, ...
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Using stablecoins to upgrade remittances

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Pakistan is the world’s 5th largest remittance destination. The question is how much further it can climb. Remittance flows are Pakistan’s most reliable source of hard dollars. Last year alone, we received more than $38 billion , the highest in our history. In many years, these flows have been steadier than exports, foreign direct investment, or debt inflows combined. As imports continue to gnaw at dollar reserves, these inflows are even more critical. So how do we increase remittance flows? By acting on a simple fact: people send more when it is easier and cheaper. Remittances could be converted into dollar stablecoins, bridged into the Pakistani CBDC’s network, exchanged at market rates, and redeemed into rupees via Raast One promising way is to use crypto-based settlement technology as the rails or plumbing. It’s like upgrading from dial-up internet to broadband: transfers become near-instant, run 24/7, and fees can fall below one per cent. More of each dollar arrives home...
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The flaws of coercive sustainability

The new federal agricultural financing scheme, Zarkhez-e , is being touted by the authorities as a major government-backed intervention aimed at expanding collateral-free credit to small, subsistence farmers. However, many bankers insist that it risks becoming a repeat of the yellow cab scheme from the 1990s as it imposes “directed lending” on commercial banks in a weak legal and recovery environment. “It is a model that has repeatedly failed in Pakistan and sits uneasily with market principles the country has committed to adhere to under the IMF [International Monetary Fund] programme,” argued the head of retail banking at a mid-sized bank who requested anonymity. Zarkhez-e , also branded as Asaan Digital Zarai Qarza , aimed at expanding collateral-free agricultural lending for smallholders and tenants across the country, was launched by the State Bank (SBP) in October last year. Introduced under the National Subsistence Farmers Support Initiative, the project seeks to provide clean...
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FIA sets up pre-departure facilitation desks nationwide following large-scale offloading complaints

RAWALPINDI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has set up pre-departure facilitation desks at all its zonal offices nationwide to assist international travellers, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday, following widespread complaints over passenger offloading at airports. The move comes after around 66,154 passengers were offloaded last year despite holding valid documents, particularly at Lahore and Karachi airports, amid a post-2024 Greece boat tragedy crackdown on migrant smuggling, which claimed several Pakistani lives. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had ordered the formation of a special committee to probe the frequent offloading of travellers, which has triggered growing concern and criticism from affected passengers. Taking to his X account, Naqvi wrote: “Pleased to share that the Federal Investigation Agency ( @FIA Pakistan) has launched Pre-Departure Facilitation Desks across all zonal offices with immediate effect.” According to the FIA, the initiative...
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India’s ‘abeyance’ claim has no standing under treaty law: Pakistan commissioner for Indus Waters

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Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah on Sunday said India’s claim of placing the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in “abeyance” has no legal basis and that the treaty remains fully in force under international law. In April 2025, India held the IWT in abeyance following the attack on tourists in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 — an incident New Delhi blamed on Islamabad without evidence. Pakistan termed any attempt to suspend its water share an “act of war” . In June, the Permanent Court of Arbitration held that India cannot unilaterally hold the treaty in abeyance. Speaking on Geo News ‘ programme ‘Jirga’, Shah talked about the legality of India holding the IWT in abeyance and said: “As far as holding the treaty in abeyance is concerned, the word ‘abeyance’ is not recognised under international treaty law. It is a coined term, because we believe India understands that it cannot suspend, breach or terminate the treaty.” However, he cautioned tha...
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FAO launches Year of Woman Farmer to highlight contribution to agriculture

• Women make up 40pc of the global agrifood workforce, nearly equal to men • In Pakistan, 74pc of working women are engaged in farm sector ISLAMABAD: The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has launched ‘International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026’, a global campaign aimed at recognising women’s indispensable yet often overlooked contributions to global agrifood systems and to galvanising efforts to close persistent gender gaps. Women make up a significant proportion of the world’s agricultural workforce and play a central role across agrifood value chains — from production and processing to distribution and trade — while also ensuring household food security and nutrition. In 2021, agrifood systems employed 40 per cent of working women globally— nearly equal to men. Despite their vital role, women’s contributions remain undervalued and their working conditions are often more precarious: irregular, informal, part-time, low-paid work that is labour-intensiv...
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Mock house, CIA source and Special Forces: The US operation to capture Maduro

At 4:21 on Saturday morning, President Donald Trump sent a message on his Truth Social platform: the United States had carried out a daring mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The action came as a surprise, but according to sources familiar with the matter, planning for one of the most complex US operations in recent memory had been in the works for months and included detailed rehearsals. Elite US troops, including the Army’s Delta Force, created an exact replica of Maduro’s safe house and practiced how they would enter the strongly fortified residence. The CIA had a small team on the ground starting in August who were able to provide insight into Maduro’s pattern of life that made grabbing him seamless, according to one source familiar with the matter. Two other sources told Reuters the intelligence agency also had an asset close to Maduro who would monitor his movements and was poised to pinpoint his exact location as the operation unfolded. Wit...
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