Pakistan clinch first Test Series win in five years

Pakistan players celebrate winning their first Test series in five years.

WELLINGTON: Pakistan clinched a 1-0 series win and their first Test series victory for five years after securing a draw against New Zealand in the second Test.

Chasing 274 for victory on the final day, Pakistan looked well placed to push for a 2-0 series clean sweep when they reached tea at 160 for four.

However Pakistan were unwilling to risk a rare series victory and took a no-risk approach in the final session to ensure a draw.

New Zealand took three wickets in the opening session to boost chances of a rare win of their own, but Younus Khan (81) and the captain Misbah-ul-Haq (70 not out) ground out a patient innings to deny the home team.

“We saw the series as more important than this test,” Misbah said at the post-game presentation.

“Younus Khan batted well in both innings and Umar Gul did well in the last Test, but everybody is contributing and that’s really good to see.”

The series win provided an overdue return of pride to Pakistan cricket, which had seen its international reputation further tarnished since its previous series victory against the West Indies in 2006.

Pakistan has been immersed in yet another corruption scandal arising from their tour of England last year – which deprived the team of key players for this series – while also being stripped of of co-hosting next month’s World Cup due to security failures.

New Zealand remains stuck in a rut of poor performances and will be hoping for a form turnaround in the upcoming one-day games to deliver some confidence and optimism ahead of the World Cup.

“We couldn’t quite play catch-up in this test and that is because Pakistan were on top after Hamilton,” said the captain Daniel Vettori, who was able to take only one wicket in 34 overs on the final day when much of his team’s hopes rested on his arm.

“We now focus on getting our combinations right for the one-dayers and the World Cup.”

Strong earthquake hits Pakistan, tremors felt in North India too

Don’t really know if you were jolted by the Earthquake but the tremors i felt were really intense here in Quetta. The time was around 1:20am , and It felt for a good 15-20 seconds. So if you felt like someone was moving your bed, or you felt the world spinning, well it was the Earthquake bhaiyon & behnon. Its Wednesday Morning so most of you must be sleeping. Luckily or unluckily i was awake. Will update the intensity of this earth quake as soon as i have any information on this. After the deadly floods the last thing we need is another disaster. So I really hope everyone is fine and no damage is caused anywhere in Pakistan or India.

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck various parts of the country, the US Geological Survey reported on Tuesday.

It said the quake, initially reported as a magnitude 7.3, was very shallow at a depth of 6.3 miles (10 km). It struck 34 miles (55 km) west of Dalbandin at 1:23 a.m. local time on Wednesday (2023 GMT on Tuesday).

The Pacific Tsunami Center said the onshore quake had not triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

A major quake of this magnitude is capable of causing widespread and heavy damage.

The earthquake which lasted for about 20 seconds was felt in a wide area, ranging from Azad Kashmir, Attock, Haripur, Taxila, Muree, Abbotabad and Mansehra to Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

The quake at 2:44am originated at a depth of only 10 kilometres, some 16 kilometres northwest from Islamabad, at the village of Jabb in a remote part of district Haripur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

No report about any damage received at any police station, rescue service office or hospital in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and adjoining areas.

In Islamabad, the tremors shattered window-panes of court room No-1 of the Supreme Court building.

Our Correspondent from Haripur adds: The tremors damaged dozens of mud-houses in hilly areas.

Sources said that the house of one Rafaqat in the village of Jabb was destroyed and his minor son Mohammad Awaid, 5, was killed and Rafaqat and his mother Gulshan Bibi were injured. Local people rescued the injured from the debris.

Karachi gang rape shocks Pakistan

A young woman was pulled out of her car and raped by four to five men in an upmarket area of Karachi, in an incident that has shaken the city and prompted the governor of Sindh province to order a top-level inquiry.

The Governor Ishrat-ul-Ibad ordered the Citizens Liason Police Cell to carry out an independent inquiry side by side with the police investigations after the rape was reported by Geo News and became a haunting news through the day.

The incident occurred late in the night on Sunday in the upmarket area of Clifton and the girl was held by the assailants for six hours before they left her near the Seaview beach area.

The episode also brought back haunting memories of a notorious rapist who used to prowl in the same area and was arrested last year, though mystery surrounds his whereabouts and fate now.

The victim, who is recovering at the civil hospital, has stated in her report that she was returning from a friend’s birthday party late at night with another female companion when a white Toyota Corolla crashed into her car.

She was then pulled out of the car and gang raped. The victim has also provided the police with the licence number of the Corolla.

Clifton Superintendent Police (SP) Tariq Dharejo has said the license number will help them get a significant lead into the case, adding that the police was pursuing the case.

The victim’s statement was recorded yesterday morning and the medical report has been completed. The police, however, is not making the report public until further details of the case emerge.

Incidentally, a notorious rapist, Ali Muhammad Hajiano, who was arrested last year after being involved in number of cases used to adopt the same modus operandi to snare his victims.

The son of an influential person, mystery surrounds the fate of Hajiano with some media reports stating that he had escaped to Dubai.

His father had reportedly said on a television channel that no one would be able to keep his son locked up for long.