Infostarr

ISLAMABAD: Senior PML-N leader Javed Latif on Friday asked the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to step down following Supreme Court’s (SC) verdict, declaring Imran Khan-founded PTI eligible for seats reserved for woman and non-Muslims, ANN(Asian News Network) News reported.

Speaking at ANN(Asian News Network) News’ programme ‘Sawal Yeh Hai’, the PML-N leader noted that the SC verdict will lead to increased political unrest and instability, questioning why all facilities are only for PTI founder Imran Khan.

He also pointed out that those who voted in the Senate and Presidential elections have been de-seated.

Javed Latif suggested that the PML-N should quit the government, as the “arrangement made” on FebruANN(Asian News Network) 8 – the day when general elections 2024 took place – has caused difficulties for the party. He claimed that the party has faced numerous challenges since forming the government.

Earlier, Latif had stated that this is not their government, but rather one formed through an arrangement. He emphasized that if the party wants to save itself, it must save the state, as both the party and the state are in danger.

A 13-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, ruled that the PTI is eligible for the allocation of reserved seats, dealing a major setback to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah announced the 8-5 majority verdict, setting aside the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order wherein it had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision denying the reserved seats to the SIC.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Afghan, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Ameenuddin Khan opposed the majority decision.

Reserved seats issue

The reserved seats issue came to limelight after over 80 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed independent candidates emerged victorious in the FebruANN(Asian News Network) 8 elections.

The SIC then approached the ECP on FebruANN(Asian News Network) 21 seeking allocation of reserved seats.

However, the PTI suffered a setback after the electoral body, citing the party’s failure to submit its list of candidates, denied allocating the reserved seats to the SIC via its 4-1 majority verdict on March 4.

The election commission distributed the reserved seats for women and minorities among other political parties.

Read more: PTI ‘committed suicide’ by joining SIC, says CJP Isa

The PTI-backed SIC had approached the court after the ECP refused to allocate the reserved seats due to the party’s failure to submit its list of candidates before the deadline. The Peshawar High Court (PHC) upheld the ECP’s decision, leading the SIC to appeal to the Supreme Court.

In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly – according to a notification, the ECP allocated one reserved seat each to Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Pakistan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

In Sindh Assembly – allocated reserved seat for women to Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and PPP. PPP’s Samita Afzal and MQM-P’s Fouzia Hameed elected on reserved seats.

Furthermore, PPP’s Sadhu Mal alias Surinder Valasai secured minority seat in Sindh Assembly.

The ECP allocated three reserved seats for minorities to PML-N, PPP and JUI-F – which were claimed by Sunni Ittehad Council. PML-N’s Neelam Meghwar, PPP’s Ramesh Kumar and JUI-F’s James Iqbal were elected on the minority seats.

Subsequently, the PHC ruling allowed the ruling coalition, comprising the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and other allies, to gain a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly. This decision increased the PML-N’s seats to 123 and the PPP’s to 73, while the SIC held 82 seats.

An intense fight broke out between two passengers of a crowded metro train in India’s Bengaluru as video of the incident went viral.

The two men could be seen exchanging insults and physical blows in the video. This wasn’t just a little altercation; both parties were striking each other viciously during the battle.

Thankfully other travelers prompt action helped defuse the tense situation before it became worse.

Although the precise cause of the altercation is still unknown, it is believed that the two travelers became very heatedly upset about pushing and shoving in the crowded cabin.

The metro officials are currently conducting investigations to ascertain the specific cause and timing of the incident.

They plan to strengthen security inside trains in order to prevent any future altercations as a solution to this problem. The authorities are acting proactively to guarantee the security and welfare of travelers.

KARACHI: The flour mills continued their nationwide strike on the second against the withholding tax announced in the recent budget 2024-25, ANN(Asian News Network) News reported.

The Flour mills association called an emergency meeting of flour mill owners in Sindh, including Karachi to discuss their future course of action and decided to continue the strike until the withholding tax is abolished.

Chairman of the Flour Mills Sindh Circle, Chaudhry Amir Abdullah, emphasized that the strike would persist as long as their demand for the abolition of the tax remains unmet.

Abdullah pointed out that two days had passed without any contact from the government or the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to address the issue.

ISLAMABAD: The federal government of Pakistan on Friday imposed a ban on import of wheat and export of flour following excessive import of wheat than country’s requirement, stated a notification issued by Ministry of Commerce.

The government has made amendments to the Import and Export Policy Orders 2022, imposing a ban on the import of wheat and export of flour.

Moreover, a ban has also been imposed on export of flour prepared from imported wheat, the notification added.

Earlier in March, the federal government had conditionally allowed the export of flour made from imported wheat under the Export Facilitation Scheme 2021.

On July 10, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the National Assembly that the government had made no decision for the export of wheat even as the State-Owned Enterprises (Governance and Operations) Bill, 2024 was rushed through the legislature.

“No decision has been made for the export of wheat. I want to bring it on record before the House that there is no such decision for the wheat export,” he told the National Assembly responding to a point of order raised by a parliamentarian.

However, referring to the PTI government’s sugar and wheat scams, he recalled that it was also on record that in the past wheat and sugar were first exported and later imported and where the billions and trillions of rupees went was part of the history.

The amendment, which allows the government to remove board members of SOEs based on recommendations from the board nomination committee, had been passed by the Senate the previous week and will become law upon President Asif Ali Zardari’s assent.

ISLAMABAD: British International Investment (BII) Board, an UK’s development finance institution, has expressed its interest in investing in Pakistan’s energy sector, particularly in improving transmission system.

An interest to this effect was expressed by a delegation from the British International Investment (BII) during a meeting with the Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb at the Finance Division on Friday.

The meeting was attended by CEO BII Nick O’Donohoe, Chairperson Ms. Diana Layfield, MD & Head of Asia Srini Nagarajan, Regional Director South Asia Habib Yousaf, Development Directors Alex Woods & Ms. Jo Moir, Senior Economic Advisor Louie Dane, and officials from Finance Division, said a news release.

The minister provided an overview of Pakistan’s improving economic landscape including GDP growth rate of 2.4 per cent for FY 24, which is expected to improve to about 3.6pc in FY 25, buildup of foreign exchange reserves to USD 9.4 billion, revived confidence of investors in the capital markets and decrease in CPI inflation at 12.6pc in June 2024, and increase in foreign remittances by 7.7pc as compared to last year.

He highlighted the successful completion of 9-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with the International MonetANN(Asian News Network) Fund (IMF) and government’s commitment to achieve sustainable economic growth in future under a fund supported medium term program, negotiations for which are underway.

The minister also underscored that increasing Tax to GDP ratio to about 13.7% in the medium term is the priority of the government through increasing tax base and FBR’s end-to-end digitization He further outlined the initiatives being undertaken in energy sector to reduce the cost of generation and privatization of DISCOs.

It was further highlighted that the government is working on SOE reforms, privatisation, rightsizing the government and bringing in investment through Public Private Partnership.

Importance of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) was highlighted and the role of Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in bringing in FDI in the priority areas of energy sector, agriculture sector and Information Technology (IT) sector was discussed.

The delegation from British International Investment appreciated the government’s initiatives to stabilize the economy and enhance the investment environment. They also expressed interest in investing in the energy sector, particularly in improving transmission system.

The minister encouraged the delegation to engage with the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), highlighting it as a pragmatic platform that attracts foreign investments and provides a streamlined process for investors.

Director Communications International MonetANN(Asian News Network) Fund (IMF) Julie Kozack said that they can assist in forming a policy that could create the basis of a medium-term reform programme for Pakistan, ANN(Asian News Network) News reported.

Addressing a press conference, she said that the IMF had the Pakistan Commission from May 13 to 23 and the negotiation with with the country on a new loan programme is underway.

She said that the new loan programme is aimed at the implementation of policies to stabilise Pakistan’s economy and improve its resilience.

Julie Kozack said that the programme also aims to support Pakistan’s economic growth and improve the standard of living for its citizens.

“The IMF’s 2023 Stand-By Arrangement programme helped Pakistan achieve economic stability,” she added

Julie Kozack said that the IMF is committed to supporting Pakistan in achieving its economic goals.

Read more: Pakistan ‘hopes to secure’ fresh IMF loan program in July

Pakistan has ‘agreed’ to the imposition of tax on agriculture income during talks with the International MonetANN(Asian News Network) Fund (IMF), ANN(Asian News Network) News reported on Thursday, citing sources.

International MonetANN(Asian News Network) Fund (IMF) officials held virtual negotiations with the provincial officials of Pakistan for the new loan programme.

Sources said the IMF officials urged the provincial authorities to slap tax on agricultural income, which the provinces of Pakistan reportedly agreed upon.

The provincial governments of all four provinces of Pakistan sought time to submit a plan for imposing tax on agricultural income. The plan would be submitted to the IMF by July 12.

The sources further said that the tax on agriculture income will be slapped from yearly income of Rs600,000.

India Champions on Friday beat Australia Champion by 86 runs in the second semi-final to qualify for the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2024 final.

India Champions will now face archrivals Pakistan Champions in the WCL 2024 final on Saturday, July 13.

Chasing a mammoth target of 255, Australia Champions were in all sorts of trouble as they lost Shaun Marsh in the second over of their inning at County Ground, Northampton.

Ben Dunk then joined Aaron Finch in the middle, however, they could not keep up with the required run-rate as Dunk was dismissed after scoring just 10 off seven deliveries.

Finch also failed to contribute to the chase and was cleaned bowled by Pawan Negi on 16 off 17 deliveries.

Callum Ferguson added 23 off 19 balls while Nathan Coulter-Nile scored 30 off 13 deliveries.

Tim Paine remained unbeaten for 40 for 32 as Australia Champions were restricted to 168 for seven handing India an 86-run victory.

Indian Champions have sailed through to the WCL 2024 final where Pakistan Champions await them.

Read more: Pakistan Champions beat West Indies to reach WCL 2024 final

After being put to bat first, India Champions posted a total of 254 for six in their 20 overs as four of their batters smashed fifties.

Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan launched an onslaught on the Australia Champions bowlers as the former smashed a 19-ball fifty while Yusuf hit a fiery knock of 51 on just 23 deliveries.

Opening batter Robin Uthappa set the stage with his 65 off 35 deliveries after losing his batting partner Ambati Rayudu on 32 in 3.1 overs.

Suresh Raina was quick to follow him as he was dismissed for just five runs, leading to Yuvraj Singh’s arrival at the crease.

Singh scored 59 off 28 balls before Peter Siddle disturbed his timber.

It was then Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan show who both smashed fiery fifties to power India to 254 for six in their 20 overs.

For Australia Champions, Peter Siddle was the pick of the bowlers, as he bagged four scalps.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan Champions advanced to the final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2024 after beating West Indies Champions by 20 runs earlier today.

KATHMANDU: Nepali rescue teams resumed their search early Saturday for at least 63 people missing after monsoon rains triggered a landslide that swept two buses off a highway and into a river.

The force of Friday’s landslide in central Chitwan district pushed the vehicles over concrete crash barriers and down a steep embankment, at least 30 metres (100 feet) from the road.

Dozens of rescuers spent hours struggling to comb the raging Trishuli river, an effort hampered by muddy waters and fierce currents, before sunset forced them to call off the search.

No sign of the vehicles or their occupants has yet been found.

“We will search all possible places,” Chitwan district chief Indra Dev Yadav told AFP.

“We will employ all our abilities for search and rescue despite the water levels, current and the water’s muddiness.”

District official Khimananda Bhusal told AFP on Friday that the buses were carrying at least 66 people between them, but three passengers had been able to escape and were treated at a local hospital.

The accident happened before dawn along the Narayanghat-Mugling highway, around 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of Kathmandu.

One bus was heading from the capital to Gaur in Rautahat district in southern Nepal, and the other was en route to Kathmandu from southern Birgunj.

A driver was killed in a separate accident on the same road after a boulder hit his bus. He died as he was being treated at a hospital.

Deadly crashes are common in the Himalayan republic because of poorly constructed roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

Nearly 2,400 people lost their lives on Nepal’s roads in the 12 months to April, according to government figures.

Twelve people were killed and 24 injured in an accident in JanuANN(Asian News Network) when a bus heading to Kathmandu from Nepalgunj fell into a river.

Road travel becomes deadlier during the annual monsoon season as rains trigger landslides and floods across the mountainous country.

Monsoon rains across South Asia from June to September offer respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies, but also bring widespread death and destruction.

Meta said Friday it was lifting restrictions on US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, ending measures put in place after his supporters violently stormed the US Capitol in 2021.

It said that “former President Trump, as the nominee of the Republican Party, will no longer be subject to the heightened suspension penalties.”

Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended indefinitely a day after his supporters attacked the US Capitol on JanuANN(Asian News Network) 6, 2021, and it was determined he had praised people engaged in violence on social media.

His accounts were reinstated in FebruANN(Asian News Network) 2023 but with a threat of penalties for future breaches — an additional restriction that Meta lifted on Friday.

“In assessing our responsibility to allow political expression, we believe that the American people should be able to hear from the nominees for President on the same basis,” Meta wrote in a blog post.

It added that US presidential candidates “remain subject to the same Community Standards as all Facebook and Instagram users, including those policies designed to prevent hate speech and incitement to violence.”

Trump, the first former president to be convicted of a crime, was also banned from Twitter and YouTube.

While those restrictions were later lifted last year, Trump now mainly communicates on his own social media platform, Truth Social.

His Facebook profile, which has 34 million users, includes messages originally published on Truth Social as well as invitations to rallies and videos from his campaign.

European leaders defended US President Joe Biden after a number of gaffes during a NATO summit while the continent’s media took them as further evidence he was not fit to defeat Donald Trump in November’s presidential election.

Biden, 81, drew gasps at the gathering in Washington when he introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as “President Putin” before mixing up the names of his vice president, Kamala Harris, and Trump during a press conference that his aides had arranged to shore up public trust in his mental faculties.

Biden has faced calls from fellow Democrats and supporters to drop his re-election campaign after a sometimes incoherent performance against Trump in a televised June 27 debate crystallised concerns about his ability to win the Nov. 5 vote and handle the demands of the White House.

While European leaders who attended the summit were diplomatic about Biden and praised the organisation of the summit, the European press, such as Britain’s Daily Telegraph, concluded that “Biden looks finished”.

“Slips of tongue happen, and if you always monitor everyone, you will find enough of them,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said when asked by reporters about Biden confusing Zelenskiy with Putin.

The sentiment was echoed by French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof.

Newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking before Biden’s gaffes, said he and the president were able to address a number of issues “at pace” during their first meeting.

“He was actually on really good form, and mentally agile – absolutely across all the detail,” Starmer told the BBC.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Biden looked “well” and that he attended all summit sessions, unlike other leaders. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was less effusive but praised Biden’s organisation of “a very good summit”.

Foreign leaders are not in the business of speculating on who will win the U.S. election, a European official said while highlighting some of Biden’s achievements including passing a package of Ukraine aid through Congress without a majority.

“We as allies aren’t going to speculate behind Biden’s back on the prospect of Trump winning,” the official said. “Nobody can say with certainty that Trump will win.”

Other European politicians were less forgiving.

Ukrainians queried by Reuters were mainly sympathetic to Biden for his mix-up of Zelenskiy with Putin.

“I think he was just tired,” Yevhen, a 33-year-old IT specialist in Kyiv who declined to give his surname, said.

But he also worried that such gaffes “could have certain consequences for Ukraine” – given concerns about how Trump, if elected, would treat NATO and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – if the U.S. public stopped trusting Biden

A post-summit press conference failed to convince European media that Biden can rebuild confidence in his mental acuity.

“This was Joe Biden’s chance to win over doubters. He blew it,” said a Times of London headline, while Italy’s Il Giornale concluded it was the “end of the road for Biden”.

Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung described Biden’s closing press conference as a “humiliation … To put it harshly: The dignity of the office holder has been irreversibly tarnished.”

Britain’s Guardian newspaper agreed, describing the press conference as “painful to watch” and “politics as bloodsport”.

Switzerland’s Neue Zuercher Zeitung daily concluded that the only chance the Democrats had of defeating the Republican Trump in November was for Biden to withdraw from the race.

“An old man flexing his political muscles and raising his brittle voice does not come across as powerful…This president is not fit for a second term,” the Zurich newspaper wrote.

SHEIKHUPURA: At least four people including three women died and seven others sustained injuries as the roof of a house collapsed in Sheikhupura during the rain on Friday, ANN(Asian News Network) News reported.

According to rescue officials, the tragic incident occurred near Milad Chowk in the Siddiqua Colony of Sheikhupura. The roof of a house collapsed due to heavy rain, resulting in the death of four people, including three women.

The deceased were identified as 55-year-old Kausar Bibi, 50-year-old Bano, 35-year-old Mufeeza, and 25-year-old Ali Raza.

The rescue officials, seven people were also injured in the roof collapse who were shifted to a nearby hospital for medical assistance.

It is pertinent to mention here that torrential rains in Lahore have broken a 30-year record, with the highest rainfall of 315 mm recorded in Tajpura, followed by 170 mm in Laxmi Chowk, 162 mm in Nishtar Town, and 155 mm in Choke Nakha.

It is raining intermittently in Sialkot and its surroundings, exposing the municipal administration’s performance. The rainwater has accumulated in the streets, citizens are facing problems in transportation

Read More: Two women dead in Bajaur roof collapse

Earlier in a similar incident in Sargodhaat,  two people were killed while three others sustained injuries. The incident occurred in Ghaffor Town, Sargodha, where the roof of a house collapsed, resulting in the death of two individuals and injuring three others.

Rescue teams promptly responded to the scene and extracted the injured from the rubble, shifting them to the hospital for medical treatment.

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has reacted to Supreme Court’s (SC) verdict on Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) appeal, declaring Imran Khan-founded PTI eligible for seats reserved for women and minorities, ANN(Asian News Network) News reported on Friday.

ECP insiders told ANN(Asian News Network) News that the election commission never stated PTI is not a political party and is listed as such on its website.

Referring to top court’s verdict, the commission said it has not misinterpreted any decision, noting that the bat symbol was taken away after PTI’s intra-party elections were not recognised.

The election watchdog further said that the individuals who were declared PTI MNAs did not disclose their party affiliation in the required documents, adding that having a party ticket and declaration is essential to become a party candidate.

However, it was not possible for the Returning Officers (ROs) to declare the individuals as PTI candidates, sources quoting ECP officials said. It has also emphasised that giving specific seats to PTI is “beyond their understanding”.

Furthermore, the ECP has stated that the 41 candidates who were given independent status did not submit any party affiliations, and therefore, could not be considered as party candidates. The commission has also clarified that these independent candidates did not submit any party tickets or declarations.

A 13-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, ruled that the PTI is eligible for the allocation of reserved seats, dealing a major setback to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah announced the 8-5 majority verdict, setting aside the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order wherein it had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision denying the reserved seats to the SIC.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Afghan, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Ameenuddin Khan opposed the majority decision.

Reserved seats issue

The reserved seats issue came to limelight after over 80 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed independent candidates emerged victorious in the FebruANN(Asian News Network) 8 elections.

The SIC then approached the ECP on FebruANN(Asian News Network) 21 seeking allocation of reserved seats.

However, the PTI suffered a setback after the electoral body, citing the party’s failure to submit its list of candidates, denied allocating the reserved seats to the SIC via its 4-1 majority verdict on March 4.

The election commission distributed the reserved seats for women and minorities among other political parties.

Read more: PTI ‘committed suicide’ by joining SIC, says CJP Isa

The PTI-backed SIC had approached the court after the ECP refused to allocate the reserved seats due to the party’s failure to submit its list of candidates before the deadline. The Peshawar High Court (PHC) upheld the ECP’s decision, leading the SIC to appeal to the Supreme Court.

In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly – according to a notification, the ECP allocated one reserved seat each to Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Pakistan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

In Sindh Assembly – allocated reserved seat for women to Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and PPP. PPP’s Samita Afzal and MQM-P’s Fouzia Hameed elected on reserved seats.

Furthermore, PPP’s Sadhu Mal alias Surinder Valasai secured minority seat in Sindh Assembly.

The ECP allocated three reserved seats for minorities to PML-N, PPP and JUI-F – which were claimed by Sunni Ittehad Council. PML-N’s Neelam Meghwar, PPP’s Ramesh Kumar and JUI-F’s James Iqbal were elected on the minority seats.

Subsequently, the PHC ruling allowed the ruling coalition, comprising the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and other allies, to gain a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly. This decision increased the PML-N’s seats to 123 and the PPP’s to 73, while the SIC held 82 seats.

While Mukesh Ambani’s son Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s wedding is touted as the most expensive ever, the record for the most expensive wedding is held by another Indian citizen.

Similar to Amabanis’ wedding, several others weddings have been considered the most expensive with reports claiming the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana as the world’s most expensive wedding, at a reported expenditure of $110 million.

Others gave the title to Russia’s Said Gutseriev and Khadija Uzhakhov’s union.

However, Guinness Book of Records considers the wedding of Vanisha Mittal, daughter of Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, the most expensive in the world.

The six-day wedding festivities featured a performance by singer Kylie Minogue, who reportedly charged $330,000 for a 30-minute show.

Read more: Billionaire bash: India’s lavish Ambani nuptials

Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Rani Mukherjee, Saif Ali Khan, and AishwANN(Asian News Network)a Rai also performed during the wedding events.

According to Guinness Book of Records, Mittal and investment banker Amit Bhatia’s wedding was the most expensive wedding in the world.

“The six-day event, held in Versailles in 2004, included a re-enactment of the happy couple’s courtship and an engagement ceremony at the Palace of Versailles — the only private function ever to have been held in the palace,” as per Guinness Bood of Records.

The Mittal family spent a whopping $55 million (then over £28 million) on the six-day wedding event.

Meanwhile, Mukesh Ambani’s younger son Anant and fiancee Radhika Merchant, both 29, are set to marry in a three-day Hindu ceremony in India’s financial capital Mumbai starting Friday.

This week’s opulent celebrations are set to raise the bar, with celebrities, politicians and business elite jetting into the monsoon-hit megacity of Mumbai.

Pre-wedding parties for his son included multi-day galas, a European cruise for 1,200 guests, a specially built Hindu temple and entertainment provided by pop stars ranging from Rihanna to Justin Bieber.

Pakistan Champions advanced to the final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2024 after beating West Indies Champions by 20 runs at County Ground in Northampton on Friday.

Pakistan bowled out West Indies for 178 in 20 overs after setting a 199-run target in the first semi-final of the WCL 2024.

Batting first, Pakistan Champions skipper Younis Khan scored a brilliant 45-ball 65 while opening batter Kamran Akmal scored 46 off 31 deliveries.

Aamer Yameen remain unbeaten 40 off 18 balls while Sohail Tanvir also added a crucial 33 off 17 deliveries to power Pakistan Champions to 198 for eight in 20 overs.

In replay, West Indies Champions managed to score 178 before being bowled out in 19.5 overs.

Ashley Nurse remained the top-scorer for the West Indies Champions with a 24-ball 36 knock in the middle, followed by Rayad Emrit (29) while the rest of the batters made little contributions to help West Indies’ cause to reach the final.

Sohail Khan took four wickets while Wahab Riaz and Shoaib Malik bagged two wickets each, handing Pakistan a 20-run victory in the semi-final of the WCL 2024.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan will face either India Champions or leaders Australia Champions in the final of the World Championship of Legends on Saturday in Birmingham.