Opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy struck a fluent half-century after the bowlers dominated to put Bangladesh firmly in command of the second Test against Pakistan on Sunday.

Bangladesh, who lead the two-match series 1-0, closed day two on 110-3 in their second innings, leading by 156 runs in Sylhet.

Joy, who fell for a duck in the first innings, responded with 52 off 64 balls before falling to pace bowler Mohammad Abbas.

Tanzid Hasan fell cheaply for four off quick bowler Khurram Shahzad, who later took down Mominul Haque for 30 in the final over of the day, while captain Najmul Hossain Shanto remained unbeaten on 13.

Earlier, left-arm spinner Taijul Islam and speedster Nahid Rana took three wickets each to bowl Pakistan out for 232, giving Bangladesh a 46-run first innings lead.

Babar Azam’s 68, which included 10 fours, was the only significant resistance from the visitors.

Pace spearhead Taskin Ahmed removed overnight openers Abdullah Fazal and Azan Awais early and spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz dismissed skipper Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel before lunch.

Rana and Taijul shared the remaining six wickets in the afternoon session.

Pakistan’s Azam acknowledged the damage done by his dismissal.

“The turning point is my wicket and Salman Ali Agha’s wicket — after that we did not build any partnerships. These two dismissals changed the momentum,” said Azam.

Rana, who has now dismissed Azam three times in three Test matches, said any opposition hostility toward him would be at their own peril.

“I don’t know if they will think twice about bowling bouncers at me but I can say this much — if anyone bounces me, I will not let them off easily,” the 23-year-old Rana said.

Rana was also bullish about Bangladesh’s prospects heading into day three.

“There is no specific target like 200, 250 or 300. We have a lot of time — three days still remain. We will try to bat the full day tomorrow,” he said.

Bangladesh’s dominant position was built on Litton Das’s extraordinary rescue act on Saturday.

Walking in at 106-4 — a position that deteriorated to 116-6, Litton struck 16 fours and two sixes in his 126 to steer Bangladesh to 278 all out.

ISLAMABAD: The National Highway and Motorway Police (NHMP) has imposed a ban on the entry of vehicles loaded with sacrificial animals on motorways, according to an official statement released on Sunday.

“Overloaded, unfit, and improperly loaded vehicles often lead to traffic congestion and serious road accidents,” the statement said.

It added that such vehicles would be diverted to alternative routes.

The statement said that several vehicles transporting animals had been involved in “serious accidents” in the past, resulting in significant loss of life and property.

“Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police have also been requested to establish check posts near motorway entry points and cattle markets to ensure the effective implementation of these measures,” it said.

The statement said the initiative had been taken to “ensure the safety, security, and convenience of commuters travelling on motorways during the Eidul Azha season”.

The NHMP’s decision has come as the Reut-i-Hilal Committee is set to meet today for sighting the Zilhaj moon.

Earlier this week, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission forecast that Eidul Azha was expected to fall on May 27.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi called on the Centre to address his province’s issues, asserting that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “should take interest” in the matter.

At the same time, he also said he had conveyed to KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to focus on the “province’s governance rather than Adiala” — a reference to the PTI’s efforts and frequent protests outside the jail in Rawalpindi for party founder Imran Khan’s release.

Kundi made these remarks while speaking to the media in Islamabad after he met KP CM Afridi at the Governor House in Peshawar earlier in the day.

Speaking to the media, he warned that the “people of KP have reached a point where if they take to the streets tomorrow, nobody could be held responsible for it”.

Kundi urged the federal government to address KP’s issues, including the suspension of CNG supply and restrictions on wheat movement.

“If Punjab has issues with supplying wheat to KP, then allow us passage to ensure supply from Sindh,” Kundi said, claiming that KP authorities had been told to transport wheat from Sindh “via Balochistan and not through Punjab”.

He maintained that as a “representative of the Centre,” he had spoken to all sides, including relevant provincial ministers.

He urged PM Shehbaz to “take interest” in the province’s issues, warning that eventually “people will be forced to take to the streets”.

“When you do not give them roti, and there is no one to listen to their problems, they will certainly take to the streets,” Kundi warned.

On working with the PTI-led provincial government, Kundi assured cooperation “as long as it’s about the peace, harmony and issues of the province”.

He said he told CM Afridi that he should “focus on the governance, rather than Adiala,” citing the province’s governance, security, and corruption issues.

“Who will be responsible for governing the province if you are sitting outside Adiala for five days of the week?” Kundi said, advising the KP CM to “hand over the Adiala issue to PTI and act as the CM instead”.

Kundi quipped that there should be “two PTIs — one to focus on governance and one for Adiala”.

Earlier in the day, Kundi met CM Afridi at the Governor’s House. During the meeting, Kundi said in a post on X, he “highlighted key governance gaps affecting people of KP, including disruptions in essential supplies and public relief systems”.

KP governor maintained that he told the KP CM that the provincial government “must step forward with immediate [and] practical measures to ensure effective service delivery and address public concerns”.

He also stressed the need for protection of KP’s constitutional rights and “enhanced welfare and operational support for KP police”.

Kundi had spoken about KP’s issues during a media talk on Friday as well, saying that he had raised the issue of the suspension of CNG supply and with the federal government, and alleged the Centre was treating the province unfairly.

He had also termed the ban on the movement of wheat a serious issue and said that KP residents should not be punished for voting for PTI. He had urged the federal government to sit with the KP authorities to resolve wheat and gas supply issues.

Last week on May 10, Kundi met with PTI leaders and discussed KP’s constitutional and economic rights, stressing the need to present a firm case before the federal government to ensure “justice and fair treatment”.

Since taking charge as the province’s chief executive in October 2025, CM Afridi has repeatedly accused the Centre of stalling the release of funds allocated to KP, particularly those committed to the merged districts under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.

He had also condemned the Punjab government’s tighter controls on inter-provincial movement of wheat and flour through a permit regime to curb price hikes within the province.

The province has also been affected by a deepening CNG crisis in April that brought economic activity to a near standstill, with hundreds of filling stations shut and millions of citizens struggling for affordable fuel.

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Sunday administered the oath to five new provincial ministers.

The ministers were sworn in a day after Kundi’s approval of the summary for the induction of 18 new cabinet members sent by the office of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.

Shafiullah Jan, Shakeel Ahmed, Tariq Mahmood, Nazir Abbasi, and Arif Ahmadzai took the oath, according to a statement issued by Governor House, where the ceremony was held.

Minister-designate Adnan Qadri could not be sworn in as he was abroad. The portfolios for the newly appointed ministers are yet to be decided.

CM Afridi, KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, ministers, government officials, and political figures were among those who attended the ceremony.

An official statement issued by Governor House on Saturday said Kundi had approved the summary for the expansion of the provincial cabinet with six new ministers, four advisers and eight special assistants to the chief minister.

New advisers are Pir Musawir Shah, Liaquat Ali Khan, Humayun Khan, and Mian Muhammad Umar.

Special assistants include Tariq Saeed, Muhammad Usman, Tufail Anjum, Iftikharullah Jan, Samiullah Khan, Malik Adeel Iqbal, Muhammad Khurshid and Muhammad Israr.

A week ago, Kundi had met with PTI leaders and discussed KP’s constitutional and economic rights, stressing the need to present a firm case before the federal government to ensure “justice and fair treatment”.

Earlier this month, the governor said there was no indication of an immediate change in the provincial government.

Responding to rumours about ex-CM Ali Amin Gandapur’s possible return to the office, Kundi dismissed the speculation, saying such expectations were unrealistic.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Sunday declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern”, posing risks to neighbouring countries.

The WHO said the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency, but that countries sharing land borders with the DRC are at high risk for further spread.

The UN health agency said in a statement that 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases and 246 suspected cases had been reported as of Saturday in the DRC’s Ituri province across at least three health zones, including Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu.

International spread documented, WHO says

The DRC health ministry had said on Friday that 80 people had died in the new outbreak in the eastern province.

The 17th outbreak in the country, where Ebola was first identified in 1976, could in fact be much larger, given the high positivity rate of the initial samples and increasing number of suspected cases being reported, the WHO said.

The outbreak is “extraordinary” as there are no approved Bundibugyo virus-specific therapeutics or vaccines, unlike for Ebola-Zaire strains, it said. All but one of the country’s previous outbreaks were caused by the Zaire strain.

The DRC-Uganda outbreak poses a public health risk to other countries, with some cases of an international spread already documented, the agency said, advising countries to activate their national disaster and emergency-management mechanisms and undertake cross-border screening and screening at main internal roads.

In Uganda’s capital, Kampala, two apparently unrelated laboratory-confirmed cases, including one death, were reported on Friday and Saturday, from people travelling from the DRC, the WHO said.

A laboratory-confirmed case was also reported in the DRC capital of Kinshasa from a person returning from Ituri, the WHO said.

Bundibugyo virus-disease contacts or cases should not travel internationally, unless as part of a medical evacuation, the WHO said.

The agency advised immediately isolating confirmed cases and monitoring contacts daily, with restricted national travel and no international travel until 21 days after exposure.

At the same time, the WHO urged countries not to close their borders or restrict travel and trade out of fear, as this could lead to people and goods making informal border crossings that are not monitored.

The DRC’s dense tropical forests are a natural reservoir for the Ebola virus.

The often-fatal virus, which causes fever, body aches, vomiting and diarrhoea, spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons, contaminated materials or persons who have died from the disease, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Anti-Corruption Circle of Karachi has arrested two individuals, including a woman, for posing as government officials and illegally using state logos and emblems, it emerged on Sunday.

According to an FIA spokesperson, the suspects presented themselves as representatives of the s0-called National Peace Force Committee for Interfaith Harmony Pakistan (NPFCIH).

They allegedly used WhatsApp messages and visiting cards to claim they were government representatives to gain access to FIA officers. During the inquiry, the suspects could not produce any legal authority or official notification to support their claims.

An analysis of their mobile phones revealed fake documents, membership cards, and counterfeit notifications bearing the emblem of the government of Pakistan.

A case has been registered against them under Pakistan Penal Code sections:

• 109 - Punishment of abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment
• 419 - Punishment for cheating by personation
• 420 - Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property
• 468 - Forgery for purpose of cheating
• 471 - Using as genuine a forged document

It is unclear from the notification when both suspects were arrested. Further investigation is underway. The FIA said it would continue taking indiscriminate action against anyone misusing the names of government institutions and the national emblem.

In April, the agency arrested seven suspects in various cases, including fake visas, visa fraud and human trafficking, in Lahore, Sialkot, Multan and Bahawalpur.

India is scrambling to salvage a sinking rupee as surging oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict threaten to disrupt the world’s fastest-growing major economy.

The currency has dropped more than 5 per cent since the crisis erupted in February, extending losses from 2025 and making it Asia’s worst-performing major currency in 2026 so far.

It hit a record low of over 96 to the dollar on Friday, prompting officials to signal that halting further depreciation is a key macroeconomic priority.

India’s central bank has already poured billions of dollars to stabilise the currency, curbed speculative trading and offered a special credit line to oil importers to ease dollar demand.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also urged voluntary austerity measures to rein in dollar-guzzling imports, including cutting down on gold buying and foreign travel for a year.

But the pressure persists.

“The whole system has been disturbed,” said Dilip Parmar of stockbroker HDFC Securities, citing heavy foreign investor outflows, weaker growth prospects and elevated crude prices.

“That is the basic problem which you’re seeing replicated in the fall of the rupee,” he said, noting that it was ultimately “a function of demand and supply” with dollar demand being higher.

The rupee’s slide comes as India faces a widening current account deficit driven by costly energy imports.

The gap is likely to be over 2pc of GDP this fiscal year, more than double last year’s level and potentially the widest since 2012-13, according to Bank of America Securities estimates.

Widening deficit

At the same time, foreign investors have dumped more than $20 billion in Indian stocks since the start of the Mideast conflict, the fastest pace on record, while dollar inflows have slowed, opening the possibility of a balance-of-payments gap as large as $67-88 billion.

The 2027 fiscal year “will be our third year of a balance-of-payment deficit, which is certainly unusual,” economist Dhiraj Nim of ANZ Research told AFP.

This strain has weighed on the rupee, prompting the central bank to defend it by burning through foreign exchange reserves — now at around $697 billion, down from over $720 billion before the Middle East war.

While still covering about 11 months of imports, the decline underscores the strain.

A weaker rupee is rippling through the domestic economy.

Manufacturers and food processors, many dependent on imported raw materials priced in dollars, are seeing costs surge.

Smaller firms often lack the ability to hedge currency risks.

In Kerala’s cashew industry, which mostly imports raw nuts from Africa, the impact has been acute.

“Imports have become far more expensive for the local market,” said Rajmohan Pillai, who runs a cashew firm, adding buyers can now afford only about 90pc of last year’s volumes.

He estimates more than 80pc of processing units have shut in recent years, with rupee volatility a contributing factor.

‘Last straw’

India’s currency decline has also hit students looking to study abroad.

Education consultants say studying in the United States now costs more than one million rupees ($10,450) extra compared with a year ago.

“This is the last straw,” said Meghna Sen, a 17-year-old aspiring psychology student.

“Now we have to track (the rupee) movement to check how much we need for our grocery budgets.”

The depreciation has punctured India’s ambition to become the world’s third-largest economy.

Modi, who once criticised his predecessors over currency weakness, has seen India’s global economic ranking dented because GDP comparisons are measured in dollars.

The country has slipped behind the United Kingdom to the sixth place according to International Monetary Fund data, largely due to the rupee’s fall.

Nomura analysts warn more drastic measures may be on the anvil.

These include possible fuel price hikes, tighter controls on overseas remittances and steps to attract dollar deposits from non-resident Indians — a playbook used in past crises.

Still, economists caution that intervention can only smooth volatility, not reverse underlying pressures.

“Fundamental factors” remain to be resolved, Nim said, adding “I would not even rule out an interest rate hike which squarely targets future inflation”.

The Reserve Bank of India knows what its options are, he said. “All that remains is to see what it decides to choose.”

Islamabad and Baku are developing their ties under a trilateral framework involving Pakistan, Turkiye and Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev said on Sunday.

The Azeri president met with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Baku, where CM Maryam arrived on a three-day visit on Saturday to represent Pakistan at the 13th UN World Urban Forum (WUF13).

“President Ilham Aliyev also emphasised that Azerbaijan-Pakistan relations are currently developing within a trilateral framework involving Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Pakistan,” read a statement issued by the Azeri president’s office on the meeting.

During the meeting, the two sides “commended the development of fraternal relations and strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Pakistan”.

“They discussed cooperation in political, economic, diplomatic, defence, and other fields, while also highlighting the importance of interregional cooperation and the strong potential for further expanding trade ties,” the statement said.

It was also highlighted during the meeting that “centres based on Azerbaijan’s ‘ASAN Khidmet’ experience have been established in Pakistan”.

Expressing satisfaction with participating in WUF13, the Punjab CM thanked Aliyev “for the invitation and praised the excellent organisation of the event”. “She emphasised that important global issues related to urban planning would be discussed in Baku,” the presidency said.

Noting that the beauty of Baku had deeply impressed her, Maryam “described the Azerbaijani capital as a remarkable example of harmony between culture and modern urban planning”, it added.

The chief minister said that during her trip, she visited the grave of Azerbaijan’s founder, Heydar Aliyev, and honoured his memory with deep respect and reverence.

Maryam conveyed the greetings of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as well as her father and ex-premier Nawaz Sharif, to Aliyev. Aliyev expressed his gratitude for the greetings and asked that his own greetings be conveyed to PM Shehbaz and Nawaz, the statement added.

The Azerbaijan president “recalled the friendly relations” between Heydar Aliyev and Nawaz.

The PML-N later shared a video from the meeting, with captions stating that Maryam “emphasised that Pakistan’s strategic location and nuclear status are vital for regional balance”.

Ali Mustafa Dar, Maryam’s brother-in-law who was appointed as her adviser on artificial intelligence and special initiatives a few months ago, was also part of the delegation.

“An honour accompanying my leader Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif to today’s meeting with the President of Azerbaijan H.E. Ilham Aliyev,” he wrote on X.

Maryam to address UN World Urban Forum

Today, CM Maryam “will represent Pakistan at the UN Urban Forum Leaders Summit and deliver Pakistan’s vision for safe, resilient and inclusive cities to the world”, according to Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, who is accompanying her.

On Monday, the chief minister will inaugurate the Pakistan Pavilion, “showcasing Punjab’s transformational initiatives, including Apni Chhat Apna Ghar, one of the world’s fastest and largest affordable housing programmes with 160,000 loans approved”.

Aurangzeb highlighted that 100,489 families had “already moved into homes they can finally call their own”.

Earlier this week, President Aliyev spoke to PM Shehbaz on the phone, with the latter conveying his best wishes for WUF13.

The premier “expressed confidence that the forum, under Azerbaijan’s stewardship, would serve as a valuable platform for advancing the global urban development agenda”, the Prime Minister’s Office had said.

“The two leaders agreed to maintain close contact and looked forward to their meeting, in person, later this year,” it added.