Thursday, 10 November, 2022 I 14 Rabi us Sani, 1444 I Rs 15.00 | Vol XIII No 131 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition
clinical Pakistan crush new Zealand to make it to t20 world cuP final Dar announces Riba-free banking system, withdrawal of appeal filed with Shariah court islamabad staff report
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OHAMMAD Rizwan and Babar Azam slammed half centuries as Pakistan powered past New Zealand by seven wickets and into the Twenty20 World Cup final Wednesday, moving within one win of a second title. Half-centuries from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan helped Pakistan beat New Zealand in dominant fashion to book its place in the T20 World Cup final. Rizwan scored 57 runs and Azam added 53 as Pakistan made easy work of a 153-run chase on a placid Sydney wicket. It finished with 153-3 in 19.1 overs. That came after Shaheen Afridi took 2-24 to help restrict New Zealand to a sub-par 152-4 from its 20 overs. Pakistan awaits the winner of Thursday’s semi-final between India and England in Adelaide. The final will be played in Melbourne on Sunday. “Luckily the half-century came in the semi-final. It was a tricky pitch,” Rizwan, who was named player of the match, said. “We decided to attack against the
new ball. Our start to the tournament wasn’t good, but we kept believing.” Opting to bat after winning the toss, New Zealand got off to a poor but eventful start. Finn Allen hit a boundary off the first ball and survived a close leg-beforewicket shout off the second via review. He was then immediately out lbw off the next delivery. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and Devon Conway (21) put on 34 runs for the second wicket before the latter was run out at the end of a powerplay. The Black Caps were then reduced to 49-3 in eight overs as Mohammad Nawaz sent back Glenn Phillips (6). Williamson scored 46 off 42 balls, including a four and a six, and anchored the New Zealand innings. He put on 68 runs off 50 balls with Daryl Mitchell for the fourth wicket. Afridi returned to dismiss Williamson in the 17th over. Mitchell hit three fours and a six in completing his half-century off 32 balls. Pakistan’s excellent ground fielding and the wicket’s slow nature then denied
New Zealand the chance to launch any type of attack in the final overs. In reply, Azam and Rizwan belied their poor form to put on a century stand for the first wicket. They scored 50 off 34 balls and reached 100 off 70 deliveries. In all, they put on 105 runs off 76 balls to set Pakistan on course for an easy win. Azam was out shortly after reaching his half-century off 38 balls. Meanwhile, Rizwan scored 50 off 36 balls before being dismissed in the 17th over. By then only 21 runs were needed off 18 balls and Pakistan closed it out with five balls to spare, as Mohammad Haris finished with 30 from 26 balls. Powerplay performance was the difference between the two sides. While New Zealand was restricted to 38-2 in its first six overs, Pakistan scored 55-0 in the powerplay. “We were put under pressure early. Pakistan bowled very well,” Williamson said. “ We were able to wrestle back momentum with an unbelievable knock from Mitchell. We felt it was a competitive total. Babar and Rizwan were outstanding and we were outplayed.”
The finance minister, on Wednesday in a video statement, revealed that the coalition government in consultation with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has decided to withdraw both appeals filed in the Supreme court against the Shariat court order to end the Riba system. The finance minister announces a Riba (interest) free banking system for the country in the coming years. Dar said that the Shariat court had given the orders keeping in view the Quran and Sunnah therefore the government should do so too. “We have discussed the future of Islamic banking roadmap with the Governor State Bank of Pakistan and Insha’Allah, we will implement the Islamic system with the help of Allah,” the Finance minister added. In the past, former finance minister Miftah Ismail also stated that he instructed National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) to withdraw its appeal against the Federal Shariat Court and that he will discuss the issue with the SBP. The finance minister also claimed that in his previous tenure as finance governor in 2013 to 2018, there had been considerable work on developing the Islamic banking system in the country, including a special committee established consisting of Mufti Taqi Usmani and other scholars. He also said that although there are challenges with converting the conventional system immediately to Islamic banking system, the current government will try its best to imple-
ment Islamic banking system in the country. On April 28, the Shariat Court announced a verdict in a long-pending, declaring the prevailing interestbased banking system as against the Shariah and directed the government to facilitate all loans under an interestfree system. The court had instructed the government to make laws within five years with regard to the implementation of Islamic banking within the country. However SBP and NBP had challenged the decision in SC. On Saturday June 26, the SBP filed an appeal under Article 203D of the Constitution through Advocate Salman Akram Raja against certain discrepancies in the FSC judgment. The SBP, through the appeal, sought clarifications. The SBP explained that it had already begun the transformation of the banking system into a Shariah compliant one at the start of the millennium and that Islamic and Conventional banking were both allowed to operate simultaneously. Moreover, in the appeal, the SBP further explained that while Islamic modes of finance were a growing area of interest for foreign providers, the central bank could not enforce adoption. The Jamaat-e-Islami has run campaigns to boycott banks that have challenged the Shariah court’s decision. Others that have filed an appeal include United Bank Limited (UBL), Allied Bank Limited, MCB Bank, in addition to NBP and SBP.
Will name ‘second officer’ monitoring assassination plot: Imran laHORE staff report
Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that he will disclose the name of the second officer who was also in the control room monitoring the “execution of the plot” – the apparent reference to the assassination attempt on him in Punjab’s Wazirabad city last week. Imran Khan was wounded by gunfire aimed at his open-top container truck as he led a political party convoy through thick crowds in the eastern city of Wazirabad on November 3. In asnother tweet, Khan shared clips of his speeches made almost two months back wherein he had revealed the plot of assassination bid being made at his life. One person died in the incident while several members of the PTI chair-
man’s close circle, including Senator Faisal Javed, former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, Ahmad Chattha and Imran Yousaf, were injured. A suspect identified as Naveed was arrested from the crime scene. The suspect admitted to opening fire on the container but did not point out to anyone during the initial investigations. The former premier, who was removed from power through a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly in April this year, also claimed that he had discovered the assassination plot hatched against him almost two months ago and exposed it in Rahim Yar Khan on September 24 and Mianwali on October 7 during public rallies. “Wazirabad assassination attempt followed the script,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle on Wednesday. He further stated that, “ I will also disclose the name of the second officer who
was sitting with Maj General Faisal in the control room from around 12 noon to 5 pm monitoring the execution of the plot” The investigators and the federal government are adamant that the attacker acted alone. However, the PTI leadership including Imran said Naveed was only a pawn who executed the assassination plot hatched by three powerful personalities of the country. The government and military have dismissed Imran’s claims as lies and fabrications, and threatened to sue the PTI chief for defamation. Imran Khan launched what is known as a long-march protest rally from Lahore to the capital on October 28, which the former ruling party said will resume on Thursday (tomorrow) at the same place where he was attacked. Imran’s supporters blocked roads near Islamabad on Tuesday, disrupting traffic and forcing schools to close.