Pakistan won the first Test in Dubai by ten wickets. The third Test will also be played in Dubai from February 3.

This is England’s first series defeat after being unbeaten in their previous nine since their loss to the West Indies in early 2009 — a sequence which saw them rise to world number one in the Test rankings in August last year.

Chasing an easy target of 145 runs to win, England were bundled out for a mere 72, their lowest ever total in a Test innings against Pakistan.

Left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman grabbed six wickets for 25 runs in his career best bowling while off-spinner Saeed Ajmal claimed three for 22.

Rehman was ably assisted by off-spinners Saeed Ajmal (3-22) and Mohammad
Hafeez (1-11) in a match which saw spinners dominate from the first day.

England lost their top four batsmen in the space of just 37 balls after an extra cautious start on a difficult pitch.

England captain Andrew Strauss topscored with 32 before he became one of Rehman’s victims during his maiden five-wicket haul.

In the penultimate over before tea, Rehman trapped Kevin Pietersen (one) and two balls later bowled Eoin Morgan (nought) to raise hopes of an unlikely win for Pakistan.

Sensing they could only upset their rivals through early wickets, Pakistan opened the bowling with off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez who responded well by catching Alastair Cook (seven) off his own bowling after England had edged cautiously to 21 by the 15th over.

Bell, promoted to number three after Jonathan Trott was unwell, was all at sea against master spinner Saeed Ajmal and his tentative push went through his legs to hit the stumps. He made only three.

Pietersen, who has been woefully out of form making just 16 runs in the series, managed one more before Rehman trapped him and in the same over had the equally out of form Morgan bowled to dent England’s hopes of a victory.

Rehman then accounted for Trott (one) and Stuart Broad (nought) in the same over to leave England 7-68.

Ajmal dismissed Graeme Swann (nought) and Matt Prior (18) to complete his 100 Test wickets in his 19th match before Anderson was caught off Rehman to give Pakistan a sensational win.

England’s previous lowest against Pakistan was 130 — made on two occasions at The Oval in 1954 and Lahore in 1987.

Earlier, Pakistan lost their last six wickets with the addition of 89 runs after resuming at 125-4, with all hopes pinned on Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq.

Rehman’s effort overshadowed Monty Panesar’s 6-62, in his first Test for 30 months, which finished Pakistan’s second innings at 214 in the morning.

Panesar took three of those wickets to finish with his eighth five-wicket haul in Tests.

Azhar Ali (68) and Asad Shafiq (43) added 88 for the fifth wicket before Panesar struck.

But England’s decision to take the second new ball as soon as it was due paid rich dividends as Anderson removed the dangerman Ali with a sharp rising delivery which caught the edge and was caught behind by Prior.

Broad then had Adnan Akmal (13) caught by Strauss in the slips off an ambitious drive in the next over as Pakistan wilted.

Rehman (10) and Ajmal (17) added an invaluable 36 for the eighth wicket before Panesar wrapped up the innings by taking the last two wickets.

Courtesy: Geotv

azarenka_wins_australian_open_2012

MELBOURNE, Australia — Victoria Azarenka started celebrating, then suddenly did a double-take to ask her coach, “What happened?”  The answer: She had just produced one of the most lopsided Australian Open final victories to capture a Grand Slam title and the No. 1 ranking for the first time.

 Azarenka routed three-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0 in 1 hour, 22 minutes on Saturday night, winning 12 of the last 13 games after dropping her first service game and falling behind 2-0.

Police sources said that the bomb was planted in electrical transformer. “The investigator have also found ball-bearings from the place. The sources said that the blast occurred near the Imam Bargah near Darkhwasti Chowk of the tehsil. However, RPO Bahawalpur Abid Qadri has claimed that it was an explosion in electrical transformer.

Courtesy: Television Sources

LONDON: Spiritual Leader of Hur Community and Chief of Pakistan Muslim League (Functional) Pir Pagara breathed his last at the age of 83 here on Tuesday.

Pir Pagara was taken to a hospital in London for treatment after suffering from an infection following his surgery in Karachi a few days ago.

Born in Pir Jo Goth, Sindh in 1928, Pir Pagara spent a major part of his life actively engaged in Pakistan’s politics.

Afridi loots hearts of the crowd

Sharjah: This was a show of brilliant cricket by boom boom Afridi both with  the bat and then with ball. First when team was struggling  and reaching 125 was looking difficult; Afridi played heroic innings of 75 to make his team achieve 200 runs mark. In reply Sri Lanka were sailing well when Afridi struck with ball and plugged off 5 wickets to get  an amazing victory. His team is now 3-1 in the series and one match is  left.

Sri  Lanka who  were confident to win after a solid 4th wicket partnership of 102 runs; were sent to pavilion with a unbelievable show  of aggressive cricket with ball and on field by a new emerging Pakistani team.

The nation and the team should be merrymaking as it has happened after a long time that the heroes are playing their best cricket and Pakistan is proving its iron back in the game.

One game is left but Pakistan has already won the series with 3-1 mark and the credit goes to the combination.

President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani has congratulated the team for their winning performance.

By Hatim S. Dabbawala

CEO, www.BohraDevelopers.com

Picture Courtesy: Cricinfo.com

One policeman was killed while one was injured. Sabin Agha reported that following the powerful blast large contingents of police and Rangers rushed to the spot where they discovered the remains of the bombers and the vehicle strewn around. They also reportedly found another jacket intact on one of the occupants of the car.

Fearing that the jacket may be another explosive laden suicide jacket, police proceeded to cordon off the area and sent for the bomb squad.

Dharejo added that “one man was wearing a jacket with a magazine indicating that he was a terrorist”. Hoewever the identities of his fellow occupants was unclear.

Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wasan, while glorifying the dead officer identified him as Maula Bukhsh, while the injured officer was identified as Safir.

The Minister also announced compensation of Rs2 million and a job in police for the martyred officer’s son while Rs0.5 million and job in police for his son for the injured officer.

Courtesy: The Express Tribune

KARACHI: Three alleged terrorists were killed when a vehicle blew up with a powerful blast here in Defence area on Wednesday.

According to police, a suspicious vehicle (Suzuki Bolan) in which the alleged terrorists were traveling was chased by two policemen. On seeing the police approaching the terrorists detonated the explosives, blowing up the vehicle.

All the three terrorists were killed while the two policemen who chased the vehicle sustained injuries in the incident, police said.

The vehicle was completely destroyed in the blast and the law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the area.

Rescue and emergency response teams have reached at the site of the incident.

Talking to the media, he said that even the police and all the intelligence agencies are under the government control, but the murderers of Benazir Bhutto are still at large.

To a query, he said: “I quit the PPP membership. There is no PPP now but has become Zardari League. I announce that I am no more associated with the Zardari League”.

He said that President Zardari has lost the vision that Benazir Bhutto held. She was a symbol of resistance against dictatorship and against unconstitutional rule but President Zardari has capitulated to the internal and external pressures.

Mohtarma was a symbol of resistance against dictatorship and unconstitutional rules, he said, adding President Zardari was totally opposite to these principles.

“Zardari is following a policy of political perpetuation against the principles of political reconciliation introduced by Benazir Bhutto.”

He added that President Asif Ali Zardari is now seeking help from those people who had hurt Benazir Bhutto. He further said that he would announce his future political plans on November 27 in Gotkhi.

He said he had accepted the foreign ministry on the insistence of President Asif Ali Zardari.

He lashed out at the party’s senior leadership for entering into an alliance with Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q). He said alliance with Q-League is contrary to the Charter of Democracy (CoD). “How can we make an alliance with the PML-Q,” he pondered.

The former foreign minister said Benazir Bhutto’s assassins could not be exposed despite the lapse of four years.

Qureshi recalled that he was the sole district nazim who had rejected the offers made by former president Pervez Musharraf. Those who were foes of Benazir Bhutto are new friends of President Zardari, he added.

“I was barred from attending a CEC meeting despite having the membership intact,” he commented.

He said President Zardari has buried the politics and vision of Benazir Bhutto along with her.

Earlier, it was reported that Qureshi was planning to join the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) ranks.

The report also claimed that Qureshi has apparently not finished negotiating with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz as well.

Courtesy: APP and News Sources

Malinga’s first ball was sprayed on the pads, and Hafeez duly whipped it for four, but the radar was turned on immediately. Two balls later Malinga zipped one away off the seam, and Hafeez nicked behind as he tried to cover the line without getting across. Younis Khan then fiddled at the sort of ball he had avoided so assiduously in the Tests, and Kumar Sangakkara veritably flew to his right, to grab the edge in front of first slip. Thisara Perera backed up Malinga with equally felicitous seam-work, and pinned Imran Farhat on the crease with one that nipped in from off stump. Farhat left Pakistan in more trouble than they needed at 11 for 3, using up their only review on his way out.

There are few batsmen in world cricket better-equipped that Misbah to handle a crisis during a middling chase. The assurance with which he left his fourth ball, a searching indipper that slid half a foot away from off stump, was just what Pakistan needed then. Umar interspersed Misbah’s defiance with a streak of breath-taking strokes, starting with a flick and a drive off Malinga. Dilhara Fernando hurried him into a pull against an effort ball, but the chance slipped past Angelo Mathews’ acrobatic effort at short extra cover. Umar went into his shell briefly, but hit back with two punchy fours in Fernando’s fifth over. Pakistan seemed to have restored parity when Umar heaved the first ball of Fernando’s next over for a six. But Sri Lanka edged ahead in the same over, with Misbah walking into an inswinger to be struck in front. Umar, however, reached a menacing half-century to set up an interesting finish.

The rule-change that made the batting Powerplay compulsory on or before the 36th over worked in Sri Lanka’s favour. Jayawardene sensed release and launched Shahid Afridi, who had been unhittable until then, over extra-cover and the straight field for fours. Tharanga too came out of his shell, cutting Saeed Ajmal square, muscling him straight and punching into the covers for boundaries, as Pakistan’s spin gambit in the Powerplay backfired. Umar Gul came on for damage control, but Jayawardene pounded him for two fours through the off side. Forty-eight runs came off the Powerplay, and Sri Lanka had finally found their voice in the Middle East.

However, they were unable to quite manage the flourish that the Powerplay had set them up for. Tharanga holed out in the 42nd over, and Angelo Mathews feathered Aizaz Cheema behind soon after. Bereft of accomplished company, Jayawardene left the late push for the very end of the innings. Ajmal took him out of the equation with 17 balls to play, but the two new inclusions in the Sri Lankan XI – Thisara Perera and Jeevan Mendis – looted 17 off Ajmal’s 50th over to haul their side towards respectability.

The fightback seemed far away after Pakistan’s dominance in the first quarter of the game, though, this time, Sri Lanka hung on to their wickets with a mix of gumption and fortune. Tillakaratne Dilshan relied on more of the latter, against an exemplary opening spell from Gul. Ten times in that period, Gul hit the seam at a lively pace outside the off stump and got the ball to jag away. Dilshan groped at nine of those with stationary feet and missed. Just to break the monotony, he managed to lay a soft edge on one of the legcutters. Just when Dilshan seemed to be getting a hang of things, Gul slipped in one that held its line. Dilshan shouldered arms, and the ball buzzed menacingly close to the stumps. Just when it seemed like he could get away with anything, Afridi slipped a patent faster one past a lazy cut to wreck his stumps.

Tharanga had two early escapes, dropped at cover by Imran Farhat and the keeper Sarfraz Ahmed, but fought along gamely. Kumar Sangakkara was not so lucky, lulled into pushing a slow leg-roller from Abdul Razzaq back at the bowler. After having the early luck go their way, Sri Lanka were suddenly reading from a script similar to the first game: the pitch was losing pace drastically, and Pakistan’s all-sorts middle-overs specialists were tying them down. Tharanga and Chandimal played out two maidens as Sri Lanka focused on survival. Jayawardene too conceded a maiden early in his stay, but Sri Lanka took off thereafter, to steal 136 off the last 20 overs.

Courtesy Cricinfo.com

On the day, the speakers would pay glowing homage to Allama Iqbal and newspapers would publish special editions and TV channels would telecast special program relating to the life and achievements of Allama Iqbal.

The day has been declared as a public holiday throughout the country. Special programmers chalked out to observe this day.
On the day, the speakers would pay glowing homage to Allama Iqbal and newspapers would publish special editions and TV channels would telecast special program relating to the life and achievements of Allama Iqbal.
National flag will be hoisted on all principal government buildings. There will be special exhibition of books and relics at Iqbal Museum Lahore, National Museum Karachi and Iqbal Manzil Sialkot.
Cinema Houses will make special arrangements to screen documentary films on Iqbal’s life. The academy of Lahore will arrange a book exhibition on this day. The traditional ceremony of change of guards will also take place on the mazaar.
Allama Iqbal, a poet, great legislature of subcontinent and important personality of Pakistan movement who gave the awareness message of “ Lab pe aati hai dua’a ban ke tamanna meri. “ to the nation, was born on November 9, 1877 in Sialkot.
He was Sufi poet of the modern age. He aroused revolutionary spirit in the nation through his poetry. Sophism and Islamic touch are prominent of his poetry.
His poetry has been translated in Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, English and several other languages and he is considered a great philosopher all over the world. As a great politician, his great achievement was to think of the ideology of Pakistan, which later became the base of independence of Pakistan. Unfortunately, he could not see the independence of Pakistan and died on April 21, 1938.

Miss world from Venezuela

Miss Venezuela, Ivian Lunasol Sarcos Colmenares, was crowned Miss World 2011 on Sunday at the beauty pageant held in London where young women from more than 100 countries competed.

The 21-year-old Venezuelan brunette, 5 feet 10 inches tall, is a graduate in human resources and comes from a family of 12 brothers and sisters.

However, she lost her parents at the age of eight and spent five years in an orphanage run by nuns.

“This has taught me that life, although it may be bad, doesn’t have to end badly. Although I no longer have my parents, it has taught me to be stronger,” she told AFP after being crowned Miss World 2011,

“I want to carry on doing the wonderful work that ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ and the Miss World organization does and to help people in need,” she said, “I want to help people like me.”

AFP

They said that the militants tied about 8-10 kilogrammes of explosives to the outer walls of the school which exploded with a bang at 30 minutes past midnight and panicked the residents.

Station House Officer (SHO) Katlang police station Sher Rehman told news sources that three among the total five rooms, built recently, collapsed where the remaining two were badly damaged and cannot be used any more.

The area is situated at a few miles from the Malakand Agency where militants, in an earlier operation called “Rah-e-Rast,” destroyed more than 420 schools including 300 schools for girls.

This incident is in continued blasts which tends stopping feminine education in Pakistan.

Police said that the bomber apparently wanted to target Ex-Union counsel Nazim Hanif Jadoon.
According to eye witnesses several causalities feared at Malikabad suicide explosions. Sources related to Police officials claimed 4 persons were injured in incident.

Police officer Ijaz Khan said the bomber detonated his explosives Monday morning as Malik Hanif Khan Jadoon was leaving a mosque in the Swabi district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

He said Jadoon and his guard were killed and nine other people were wounded, including the former official’s son.

Jadoon was a senior official in Swabi and a member of the Awami National Party, whose members have often been targeted by the Pakistani Taliban.

He and his family had just finished morning prayers celebrating the Islamic holiday of Eidul Azha when the bomber struck.

From: Online sources.

The process will continue on three days of the Eid festivities. People prayed to Allah Almighty in mosques and Eidgahs for the solidarity, prosperity and integrity of Pakistan and the liberation of all occupied Muslim territories, including held Jammu and Kashmir.

Scholars from different schools of thought delivered special sermons to highlight the significance of the day and the purpose of the sacrifice rendered by Prophet Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) centuries ago.

In federal capital, the biggest Eid congregation was held at Shah Faisal Mosque. A large number of people have gone to their hometowns from main cities to mark the day with their beloved ones.

In Karachi, the biggest congregation was held at Nishter Park and in Lahore, the mass congregation held at the historic Badshahi Mosque where more than 100,000 people offered Eid prayer.

The city district governments have finalised comprehensive cleanliness plans for Eid-ul-Azha to get rid of entrails and offal of animals.

Special instructions have been given to the staff of Solid Waste Management to continue patrolling roads and streets to lift the waste and keep the atmosphere clean.

Pakistan wins in Hong Kong

Hong Kong: Pakistan have won the Hong Kong Super Sixes Tournament after beating England by 35 runs here on Sunday. Great win by Pakistanis and Captain Abdur Razzaq has reasons to be delighted.

Baiting first, Pakistan batted made 154 runs in five overs. Captain Abdur Razzaq smashed 65 in 17 deliveries and remained not out. Sohail Tanveer scored 58 runs in 14 balls.

In reply, England were bowled out on 119 runs.

Umar Akmal was named Man of the Tournament while captain Abdur Razzaq was awarded Man of the Match.

Pakistan have levelled the England’s record of winning the title of five times.

Apart from PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, who is on a visit to Turkey these day, the PML-N leadership, including opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Senator Raja Zafarul Haq, Senator Mushahidullah, Senator Pervaiz Rasheed, Khawaja Asif and others will attend.

The rally, which will start in the afternoon with the agenda of ousting the ‘corrupt rulers’, has been termed the ‘end of the beginning’ of the Zardari government by the PML-N leadership which believes that days of the present government were numbered.

The PML-N, which gave a call for the rally just a week ago, also directed its local organisations, MNAs and MPAs to ensure maximum participation of workers, though some believe that the absence of PML-N President Nawaz Sharif from the rally might reduce the number, which would have been higher otherwise.

All major roads of the city including The Mall, Lower Mall, Circular Road, Main Boulevard etc have been decorated by the PML-N with banners, party flags amid criticism from another emerging political force from the city, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf.

Babar Awan calls this rally as Lahore’s Siri Paye and Comedy Show.

Courtesy; Newspapers

Ra One releases all over the world including Karachi

It was great to find no ticket available in Cinemas of Karachi for their hero and his released master piece RaOne.

Shah Rukh Khan’s plan to release ‘Ra.One’ on Diwali seems to have paid off with multiplexes claiming that the film opened to houseful shows.  Also starring  Karina Kapur and Arjun Rampal, the film released in over 3000 screens in India of which about 500 theatres will be screening its 3D version.

“‘Ra.One’ has opened extremely well that too on Diwali when people prefer celebrating at home. All the prime shows were houseful. The way it is going, it could break the record of ‘Bodyguard’ over the five-day weekend,” Anant Verma, spokesperson for  DT Cinemas told PTI.

Echoing his words was Rahul Singh from PVR, who said, “Occupancy in the theatres all over India were according to our expectations, most shows were houseful because of Diwali. The way it has opened, ‘Ra.One’ will surpass Bodyguard’s box office record over the extended weekend.”

Salman Khan-starrer ‘Bodyguard’, released on Idd in August, grossed Rs 102.86 crore in its first week, thus becoming the highest opening week grossing Bollywood film.

‘Ra.One’ opened at 14 multiplexes in Mumbai, atrium and other cineplex in Karachi and saw an occupancy of over 90 per cent.

“It has been a bumper opening for ‘Ra.One’ since morning shows. The film is running houseful. The occupancy has been over 90 per cent at Big Cinemas. With this kind of fantastic response it seems ‘Ra.One’ will reach the Rs 100 crore mark soon,” Big Cinemas CEO Ashish Saxena said.

“The film opened to 100 per cent occupancy at all the 18 multiplex chains of Cinemax here,” Girish Wankhede, senior VP (Corporate communications) Cinemax, said.

“The film has had an unprecedented opening. The single screens as well as multiplexes have started on an earth-shattering note. The morning shows which commenced from as early as 7 and 8 am saw 95 to 100 per cent occupancy. It is a historic opening,” said trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

Courtesy Economic Times and Editors

Begum Nusrat Bhutto dies

DUBAI: Former chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and first lady, Begum Nusrat Bhutto, died at the age of 82 after protracted illness in Dubai on Sunday.

Begum Nusrat Bhutto was born in Isfahan, Iran on 23 March, 1929. She married to founder of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1951. After the death of her husband in 1979, she remained the chairperson of the PPP from 1979 to 1983.

She was allowed to leave Pakistan by the military government of Ziaul Haq in 1982 for London after she was diagnosed with cancer.

She was elected Member of National Assembly (MNA) from Larkana in 1988 and 1993.
Nusrat Bhutto had two sons Mir Murtaza Bhutto and Shahnawaz Bhutto and two daughters Benazir Bhutto and Sanam Bhutto.

The body of Begum Nusrat Bhutto will be brought to Sukkur from Dubai on a chartered flight on Sunday night.

She will be buried in Garhi Khuda Buksh in Larkana beside the grave of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

The Pakistan People’s Party has announced 40-day mourning on the death of its leader.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani announced 10-day national mourning and public holiday on Monday and cancelled all his engagements.

The Federal Cabinet will also not hold its meeting on Tuesday.

Courtesy Geo.tv

Courtesy by: Zahabiya Modi