The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday fined Pakistan 40 per cent of their match fee and docked them eight points in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) for maintaining a slow over rate during the first Test against Bangladesh.

In a press release, the ICC said, “Pakistan have been fined 40pc of their match fee and penalised eight points in the ongoing WTC 2025-27 cycle after being ruled eight overs short of the target once time allowances were taken into account”.

With this penalty, Pakistan is now on four points in the WTC standings, placing them eighth, just above the West Indies.

The sanction was imposed by Jeff Crowe of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, it added.

“Under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which deals with minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 5pc of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl within the allotted time,” the release said.

“As per Article 16.11.2 of the WTC playing conditions, teams lose one championship point for each over short, resulting in Pakistan being docked eight crucial points in the WTC standings,” it maintained.

The press release said that Pakistan captain Shan Masood had “admitted the offence and accepted the proposed sanction”, eliminating the need for a formal hearing.

The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Richard Kettleborough and Kumar Dharmasena, alongside third umpire Allahuddien Palekar and fourth umpire Gazi Sohel, it said.

In the first match of the two-Test series in Dhaka, Pakistan’s Test team was beaten by Bangladesh by 104 runs, as the hosts took a 1-0 lead.

The second match of the series was scheduled to be played from May 16 to 20 in Sylhet.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that 11 Pakistanis and 20 Iranians, aboard vessels seized by the United States on the high seas, were successfully repatriated.

Last week, Pakistan reached out to Singaporean authorities for their support in facilitating the “welfare and repatriation” of the crew members. Dar noted that the vessels were near Singaporean waters at the time.

“All individuals are in good health and high spirits,” Dar wrote in a post on X, adding that the welfare of Pakistanis abroad, particularly those in distress, remains the government’s highest priority.

“All individuals have reached Bangkok from Singapore and already boarded the flight scheduled to reach Islamabad later tonight,” he added. “Our [Iranian] brothers will then be facilitated to return to their homeland.”

In the post, Dar extended his gratitude to Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Bala, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow for their support in repatriating the 31 seamen.

The Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane off the coast of Iran, has been virtually blocked by Tehran since the United States and Israel started bombing Iran on February 28.

Some vessels attempting to transit the Strait have reported being fired upon, with Iran and the US seizing several other ships. Last month, the US imposed its own blockade on ships from Iranian ports.

US forces boarded and seized the M/V Touska container ship on April 19. The vessel, which was part of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) group — which has been hit with US sanctions — was boarded off the coast of Iran’s Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman.

On April 29, six of the crew members were freed, while on May 4, the remaining 22 were evacuated to Pakistan, before returning to Iran via a land border crossing. The Touska was also backloaded to Pakistan for repairs before being returned to its owners.

Similarly, on April 23, US forces boarded and seized the M/T Majestic X oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, according to the Department of War.

Karachi Additional Inspector General (AIG) Azad Khan shared details on Friday of the probe into alleged drug queenpin Anmol alias Pinky, saying investigators had come across information suggesting the involvement of foreigners in running the drug network.

Anmol was arrested earlier this week from her apartment in Karachi in a joint raid conducted by police and a civilian intelligence agency in connection with two cases pertaining to the possession of narcotics and an unlicenced weapon.

On Wednesday, a Karachi court granted police a three-day physical remand of her.

The Karachi AIG on Friday shared details at a press conference of the investigation into Anmol thus far, saying the case could turn out to be transnational as investigators had come across information about the involvement of foreigners in drug networks allegedly run by the suspect.

“We have come across information that some foreigners from African countries are involved in this network who are in Lahore. They may be six to eight in number.

“Similarly, around 20 Lahore-based women are also involved in this network,” he said.

“We have come to know that the main shipment [of drugs] used to come from there. They used to make their products there,” he said, adding that the products were then sent to Karachi.

He added that Anmol used to employ riders, nine of whom had been identified. “Eight of them are from Punjab and used to come here, carry out their work and leave. Only one of the nine riders was from Karachi,” he said.

“When her riders began getting caught, she changed her modus operandi. Instead of sending her own riders, she started using local riders through various services,” he added.

The AIG said Sindh authorities were in touch with the Punjab police and the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), he added. Moreover, “we are also contacting the Financial Monitoring Unit”.

The senior police official elaborated that 20 cases against Anmol had surfaced in Sindh, of which 17 were old cases and 3 were registered recently. “One of those cases is registered with the ANF.”

Moreover, three cases against her were registered in Lahore, he said, adding that further details regarding the status of those cases had been sought.

The AIG said Anmol had been shown as arrested in nine cases, and acquitted in six of the earlier cases registered against her. “She has been declared a proclaimed offender in three cases and an absconder in an ANF case,” he added.

Separately, nine cases registered previously were linked to her network, he said, adding that “her riders are nominated in those cases, but her name was not mentioned in the cases when they were registered”.

AIG Khan further said Anmol had been involved in drug peddling since 2014, but she began selling drugs in Karachi in 2018. “She used to do it online and when she came on [the authorities’] radar here, she moved to Lahore,” he added.

The official said a forensic analysis of Anmol’s phone had been conducted and that they had over 800 contacts. “We are trying to determine the location of those contacts. We have received the location of 639 contacts, of which only 132 are in Karachi,” he further stated.

He said this showed that Anmol’s network was not limited to Karachi and its “tentacles are spread beyond” this city.

The AIG said around 300 of Anmol’s contacts had been identified by investigators as being fully involved in drug-related activity. He added that the next task was to categorise those contacts as “victims”, who had been addicted to drugs; “accused”, who sold drugs; and “harbourers”, who had facilitated the network through their influence, adding that whoever they may be — including police personnel — would be taken into custody.

Sharing details of financial transactions related to Anmol traced so far, the AIG said “a 500-page statement of a year-and-a-half-old account had been obtained. According to it, transactions worth more than Rs30 million had been recorded in that account”.

“The biggest transaction has been made by an account under the name of an individual named Anna from Lahore — the amount is around nine million or more,” he said.

The official further told reporters that a raid at Anmol’s “old residence was conducted at night, from where cocaine was recovered. We have registered a separate case regarding that”.

He further said that four names had been forwarded to the relevant authorities to be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) in connection with the case.

When asked whether any parliamentarian or their spouses were among the individuals whose names had been forwarded to be added to the ECL, the AIG said: “That is not the case. These are people who are involved in this [matter].”

During the briefing, he also said that Anmol had been nominated in a murder case as well. “Her contact was found with a drug addict who has died. We treat it as a murder,” he detailed.

He also mentioned that the Sindh inspector general of police had constituted a ’“larger team” for investigating the matter. “I am heading that team, which also comprises Deputy Inspector General (Crime) Amir Farooqi, the DIG (special branch) and DIG of the Counter-Terrorism Department,” he said.

“We want a broad-based investigation into this at a senior level,” he said.

The official also denied reports that Anmol was arrested in Lahore. “She was arrested here. Processes involving intelligence are complex, people are lured in — I will not go into details, but police and intelligence agencies have put in hard work for the arrest,” he explained.

He also said that he had spoken to the Punjab IG and that Sindh and Punjab police would continue to share information regarding the case. “We have already formed a team and they, too, will probably constitute a team,” he added.

A statement issued by police after the press conference stated that Anmol was arrested on the night of May 12 in a joint operation by police and intelligence agencies.

She was found in possession of 1,540 grammes of cocaine, 6,970 grammes of others drugs and chemicals and a 9mm pistol along with ammunition, the statement said.

It added that Anmol had “confessed during investigation that she began drug peddling in 2014-15 with her husband, Rana Nasir”. She was further quoted as saying that she used to “deal with Rana’s clients and supply drugs”.

According to police, she began selling drugs online in 2018.

“She had established an organised network in different cities. She used to supply drugs from one city to the other via local buses and received orders for drugs on Whatsapp.

“Once the [client’s] location was shared, she used to supply drugs in boxes of food items through riders,” the statement said.

It further stated that total 835 contacts numbers were found in her mobile’s contact list, and 300 among them were of her “active customers”. Moreover, “15 of her big clients and 38 regular customers have also been identified,” it said.

Six different bank accounts were traced through her mobile phone, the statement said, adding that money paid in exchange for drugs used to be sent to those accounts.

The statement also mentioned two men named Zeeshan and Sohail.

Police identified them as the owners of “Fayyaz Communication”, without sharing any further details of the entity.

“They used to oversee the financial matters. On Anmol’s instructions, Fayyaz Communication transferred Rs30m to her six accounts from four private accounts in a year,” the police statement said.

Investigation in final phase: Sindh home minister

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, speaking at the Sindh Assembly, said that the investigation in the case was in its final stages and the names of all those involved would be disclosed.

He made it clear that, with the permission of the speaker and the assembly members, all details would be presented before the House to remove any ambiguity and ensure transparency.

Lanjar added that the arrest was carried out with the assistance of a federal intelligence agency and a Sindh Police officer, further stating that Anmol was involved in multiple criminal cases and has an existing criminal record.

He further stated that certain police officers attempted to mishandle the case, but noted that action against such elements was ongoing and arrests would be an option if further negligence or misconduct is proven.

Lanjar added that discussing matters under investigation before the inquiry is completed was not appropriate, as the government did not want to defame an innocent person without evidence.

He urged the members of the assembly to act responsibly and exercise patience until the inquiry is completed.

Lanjar further said that strict action is being taken against the responsible officers and transparent investigations are being ensured to bring all facts to light.

He added that once the inquiry is completed, he himself will present the complete details before the assembly.

PPP MNA and spokesperson Shazia Marri said on Friday that one instance of interaction between two people who had worked closely for several years “cannot be viewed in isolation”, after a video clip of PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari curtness with her went viral on social.

The incident took place at a press conference after the PPP’s parliamentary party meeting at the Parliament House in Islamabad on Thursday.

During the press briefing, a journalist asked Bilawal for his views on ministers in the federal government suggesting that education, health and other subjects, particularly the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) be given back to the Centre under a proposed 28th constitutional amendment.

Several subjects, including education and health, were devolved to the provinces under the 18th Constitutional Amendment in 2010.

Bilawal began his reply by stating that he was not aware which federal minister the journalist was referring to.

At that point, Marri, who was also present at the press conference, corrected him, stating that it was not a federal minister but Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Kesoo Mal Kheal Das.

Das was reported to have said last week, while speaking to reporters, that the government was considering devolving BISP to provinces.

After Marri’s mention of him, Bilawal responded by saying, “I am not asking you.”

At that, Marri began apologising, but Bilawal interjected and said, “Thank you.”

As a video clip of the interaction went viral on social media, Marri seemingly addressed the matter in a post on X.

“One interaction that made its way on social media, between people who have worked closely together for many years, cannot be viewed in isolation. PPP has always prioritised the collective good of the people and nothing should take away from our joint mission of public service,” she said.

Her post was in response to another, which pointed out that the entire coverage of the presser had diverted to that “one instance”.

Meanwhile, digital rights expert and activist Usama Khilji said, “For a hardworking, senior and one of the few directly elected women politicians in the parliament to be spoken to with such condescending misogyny publicly is not a good message from the party that gave the Muslim world its first woman prime minister.”

He also called on Bilawal to apologise.

Imtiaz Gul, the executive director of Islamabad-based think tank Centre for Research and Security Studies, said, “Quite an embarrassing moment for a senior leader like Marri and an extremely poor reflection on Bilawal, who showed the wadera arrogance by giving her a shut up call.”

Security forces killed nine terrorists as they repulsed an attack on an army camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district, official sources said on Friday.

Four security personnel were also martyred during the engagement, they added.

The sources said terrorists from Fitna-al-Khawarij — the state-designated term for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — attacked the camp with explosives on Thursday night and tried to end the camp from one of the gates while firing.

But, security forces responded timely and effectively, as a result of which they remained unsuccessful in their nefarious designs, the sources added.

They said that according to initial reports, nine terrorists had been killed and four soldiers were martyred during the engagement.

The terrorists were unable to enter the camp despite using explosives and resorting to intense firing, they said, adding that a search and clearance operation was under way at the camp.

Meanwhile, injured security personnel had been taken to Peshawar for medical treatment, they said.

The TTP claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement.

The attack has taken place just three days after a blast in KP’s Lakki Marwat claimed the lives of nine people, including two traffic policemen. Over 30 people were also injured in the attack.

Prior to that, 15 police personnel were martyred after a suicide attack on the Fateh Khel police post in KP’s Bannu district on May 9.

KP has seen a rise in terrorist attacks in the past year. According to the Annual Security Report 2025 from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), KP recorded a significant surge in violence last year as “fatalities rose from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025”.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday said that Pak-US ties had strengthened during United States President Donald Trump’s tenure.

He made the remarks during a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Paul Kapur, the interior ministry said in a post on the social media platform X. The meeting was also attended by US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry, and other officials.

“During the meeting, discussions took place on Pakistan-US relations and the latest situation in the Middle East,” the ministry said. It added that views were also exchanged on increasing cooperation in the fields of security, counter-terrorism, and combating narcotics.

“Pakistan-US relations have strengthened during Trump’s tenure,” the ministry quoted Naqvi as saying.

“Pak-US relations are based on mutual trust and bilateral cooperation,” Naqvi said, adding foolproof security had been ensured for American companies working on the Reko Diq project.

According to the ministry, Naqvi said the country “wanted direct flights between Pakistan and the US soon”.

“We are hopeful for a lasting and peaceful resolution of the Middle East conflict,” he added.

On Thursday, Kapur had also met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

“During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional developments,” the Foreign Office (FO) said.

According to the statement, Dar appreciated Trump’s “vision for peace, the Iran–US ceasefire understanding, and the visit of US Vice President JD Vance to Pakistan”.

“He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to resolving issues through dialogue and diplomacy,” it said.

“Expressing satisfaction over the current momentum in Pakistan–US relations, Dar welcomed growing engagement between the two countries and the expansion of cooperation across multiple fields. He also underscored the importance of regular high-level exchanges and sustained structured dialogue,” it said.

Meanwhile, Kapur appreciated Pakistan’s role in regional mediation and noted the positive trajectory in bilateral relations.

“Both sides agreed to further strengthen collaboration in trade, investment, and development,” the FO said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday lauded the “historic” ties between Pakistan and China during a meeting with a Chinese business delegation.

According to a handout from the Prime Minister’s Office, a high-level 11-member Chinese business delegation led by Qian Xiaojun, the founder, president and controlling shareholder of IBI Beijing United Technology, called on the premier.

“While welcoming the delegation to Pakistan, the prime minister said Pakistan and China enjoyed historic ties and the two countries were all-weather strategic cooperative partners,” the handout said.

He lauded the remarkable progress made by China under the visionary leadership of President Xi Jinping and said that he was looking forward to his visit to China later this month, it added.

The prime minister welcomed the growing business-to-business engagement between the two countries and said it was particularly encouraging that IBI would promote digital economy cooperation, investment facilitation and industrial collaboration, it said.

Expressing confidence in Pakistan’s economy, Xiaojun said IBI hoped to help build the backbone for the digital transformation of Pakistan’s economy.

He said the establishment of IBI’s Digital Economy headquarters in Pakistan would be the command centre for this transformation and would provide massive opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises in Pakistan by offering a gateway for them to a vast Chinese market.

The delegation’s visit followed the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference held in Beijing in September 2025 during the prime minister’s visit to China.

The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday said Pakistan’s relations with the United Arab Emirates remained unaffected by any external engagements the Gulf state may have, expressing confidence in the strength of bilateral ties. It said the relationship was based on mutual trust, adding that this sentiment was also shared in Abu Dhabi.

“Pakistan – UAE relations are strong, brotherly, built on strong foundation. We have 2.2 million-strong diaspora in the UAE. We have traditionally been friendly and cooperative in all affairs. We have a trade close to $8 billion, said FO Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi during the weekly press briefing.

He further said that there is “absolutely no question” of any negative aspersions with respect to relations between Islamabad and Abu Dhabi.

Earlier in the day, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said that Pakistan’s relationship with the United Arab Emirates was “absolutely fine”.

Several media outlets in recent days have reported that the Gulf country had begun a “large-scale expulsion” of Pakistani workers, particularly Shia workers, signalling a shift in Pakistan-UAE ties. The Interior Ministry has denied the claims.

Referring to India, Andrabi said that calls in India for dialogue with Pakistan were a positive development and expressed hope that “warmongering” and “belligerence” being witnessed in the neighbouring country for a long time would “fade away”.

The journalist who asked the question mentioned various statements, including a recent one by former Indian army chief Gen (retired) Manoj Naravane, who supported the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) secretary general’s remarks calling for keeping the window for dialogue between Islamabad and New Delhi open.

In response to the question, Andrabi said: “The voices within India calling for dialogue are obviously a positive development; we hope that sanity will prevail in India, and warmongering, the belligerence that has been emanating for the past several months and even beyond, for past years, will fade away and pave the way for more such voices.”

When asked about reports in the Indian media about backchannel talks going on between New Delhi and Islamabad, the FO spokesperson replied: “About track two or backchannel – well I am not aware of that and do not wish to comment on those. If I were to comment, there would be no backchannel. Backchannel or track two, the name is self-explanatory.”

In the recent past, ties between India and Pakistan particularly deteriorated after New Delhi blamed Islamabad without evidence for an attack on tourists in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam in April 2025. For its part, Pakistan strongly denied the allegations and called for a neutral investigation.

Two days after the Pahalgam attack, India had taken a series of aggressive measures against Pakistan, including unilaterally suspending the critical Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). Pakistan retaliated by suspending all kinds of trade, closing its airspace for Indian flights and shutting down the Wagah border.

Subsequently, New Delhi launched deadly overnight air strikes on Pakistan on May 6 over allegations about the Pahalgam attack. In retaliation, Pakistan Air Force downed several Indian planes in air-to-air combat. The initial tally of the downed jets was announced as five and later raised to eight.

After tit-for-tat strikes on each other’s airbases, it took American intervention on May 10 for both sides to finally reach a ceasefire.

‘Misrepresented’

During the weekly briefing Andrabi also said that certain media reports “misrepresented” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s recent remarks to Deputy Prime Minister and FM Ishaq Dar, affirming the call was held with cordiality.

The clarification comes after Chinese state media Xinhua reported that during his call with Dar on Tuesday, Wang expressed hope that “Pakistan can step up mediation efforts” between the United States and Iran.

Addressing the matter, Andrabi said, “Some reports suggested that the Chinese side urged us to enhance the mediation efforts, implying as if Pakistan was being asked to sort in a ‘do more’ paradigm. So news coverage by some of local newspapers conveyed the same impression.

“I wish to place on record that such reports somewhat misrepresent the call in both letter and spirit,” he added, asserting that the call was held with “traditional warmth and cordiality”.

Andrabi said FM Wang appreciated “Pakistan’s constructive mediation role and expressed full support for its efforts”, echoing what was reported by Xinhua as well.

“Wang reiterated China’s principled position and commended Pakistan for facilitating US-Iran talks and helping extend the temporary ceasefire. He expressed hope that Pakistan will maintain confidence and contribute to restoring regional peace at an early date, which is also the common aspiration of the international community,” the report read.

China will continue to support Pakistan’s mediation efforts and make its own contribution toward this end, Wang was quoted as saying.

In its statement on the call, the FO had also said Wang reiterated Beijing’s appreciation and support for Pakistan’s role as a mediator.

It added that both top diplomats “underscored the importance of continuing a durable ceasefire and ensuring normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz”.

Despite signs that negotiations between the US and Iran have stalled after President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s latest response to a proposed settlement framework, Pakistan has remained engaged in mediation efforts.

A series of diplomatic contacts made earlier this week suggested that regional and international actors are still attempting to prevent the situation from sliding back toward open hostilities.

Even as military pressure and fears of renewed confrontation continued to shape the crisis, Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement has persisted despite a far more complicated scenario.

On Monday, US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker met with Dar to discuss the evolving regional situation. The same day, Dar spoke with Saudi FM Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on a call, with FO saying that the latter “reiterated support for Islamabad’s efforts aimed at promoting regional peace and stability”.

Also on Monday, United Nations Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for the Middle East Conflict Jean Arnault also met Dar, who briefed him on recent developments and Pakistan’s continuing engagement with the parties concerned.

Seamen still in Somali pirates’ captivity

The FO spokesperson was also asked about the captivity of Pakistanis aboard an oil tanker seized by Somali pirate.

The MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged product tanker, was seized on April 21, approximately 30 nautical miles off Somalia’s Puntland region with 17 crew members aboard, 10 of them Pakistani.

Andrabi said the “individuals are still with the Somali pirates. Unfortunately, their release has not been secured as yet”.

However, he added that a two-member team from the Pakistani embassy in Djibouti had gone to Somalian capital Mogadishu.

“It has held important meetings with the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Somali Ministry of Defence, with the Somali naval authorities, and maritime authorities.

“We were told [our] nationals are safe and are being provided food,” he said. “They are in harsh living conditions, but at least we were assured of their safety.”

The FO spokesperson further stated that they had been informed that the pirates were negotiating directly with the ship owner, who had been constantly communicating the details to Somali government officials.

“We (our team) spoke with this official who is in touch with the ship owner. The dynamics of this incident of piracy is that the pirates, who are Somali nationals, do not negotiate with the governments of the captives. They negotiate only with the shipowners. So, it’s incorrect to say that Pakistan government can negotiate or will negotiate,” he added.

The FO spokesperson also said that piracy had been a long-standing problem.

“We feel for the safety of our people. We are very keen for their quick repatriation. We are in touch with the Somali authorities and we will continue to do so. I can assure you that this matter is high on our radar and agenda, in terms of our bilateral with Somalia, and is a pressing, emergent humanitarian imperative,” he added.