KARACHI: Four persons were injured when firing occurred near Empress Market Saddar, Geo News reported Wednesday.

The firing incident took place when a procession of Yaum Ali (RA) was passing off Empress Market in Saddar.

The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital.

The incident was followed by aerial firing by unknown men from an old building in Saddar market.

CCPO Wasim Ahmed said that police and Rangers have surrounded the building and trying to carry out a search by entering into it.

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LONDON: Pakistan Cricket Board said Tuesday it would not suspend top players accused over a betting scam while the claims are probed, but reports suggest they will not play the rest of the tour in England.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has promised “prompt and decisive action” if the allegations made by a British Sunday newspaper are proven, insisting that corruption would not be tolerated.
Pakistani authorities have also promised severe punishment but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Tuesday it would not suspend any players while police investigated the players.
“Chairman Ijaz Butt just told me that since there is a case going on with the Scotland Yard we are not going to suspend any player,” a PCB spokesman said.
“He further said that this is only an allegation so far. There is still no charge or proof on that account. So at this stage there will be no action taken.”
According to British media reports, the players named in the News of the World allegations — captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Kamran Akmal — are unlikely to play in the series of one-day internationals against England.
The Pakistan team begin their preparation for the one-day series, which follows the Test series in which the alleged betting scam took place, with a practice match against English county Somerset on Thursday.
The first one-day match against England is on Sunday.
The News of the World, a British Sunday tabloid, alleged that a middleman took 150,000 pounds (230,000 dollars, 185,000 euros) to arrange for Pakistani players to deliberately bowl the no-balls.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper said it understood that the ICC had asked the Pakistan authorities for the four players cited in the allegations to be dropped from the squad, although no official request has been made.
Other British press reports said the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was adamant that the players at the centre of the allegations should be omitted from the one-day series.
Citing an ICC source, it also reported that the same players had been under investigation for months by their anti-corruption unit.

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Pakistan News

LARKANA: The unplugged breach in a saline nullah near Larkana has inundated at least 20 villages; also, two breaches in MNV Drain near Khairpur Nathan Shah have deluged further two villages, Geo News reported Wednesday.

At least three protective embankments were washed away in District Qambar Shahdadkot area of Gaji Khavar causing the entire area to be submerged under water and the breach in the saline Canal has overwhelmed at least 25 villages including Goth Jalbani.

The flood torrent is fast paced towards Naseerabad area of district Qambar Shahdadkot and towards Bada and Warah cities of district Larkana.

Bunds of Naseer Shakh are being buttressed to save Warah. However, the surging flood tide reved up the threat to Juhi with people straining on self-help basis to plug the breach in MNV Drain.

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RAWALPINDI: A delegation, comprising officials from Pakistan Army, has resolved cancellation of US visit after they were mishandled by US officials of Transport Security at Washington Airport, Geo News reported.

According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) sources, a delegation of Pakistan Army was invited to Central Command meeting in US where delegation announced calling off visit after arrival at Washington airport when US security officials misbehaved Pakistan army officials.

Delegation has been called back to country.

Meanwhile, US Defense Department has strongly deplored the incident, sources said.

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KARAHCI: Cost of the transportation of relief goods and relocation of flood-affectees to safer places has been feared to go further up due to surge in diesel prices by Rs 1.57 per liter, Geo News reported.

According to details, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) changed the prices of petroleum products with effect from September 1st.

The price of diesel has been increased by Rs1.57.

According to a notification issued by Ogra, the price of petrol was decreased by Rs0.48 per litre to Rs67.26. High octane blending component (HOBC) price went down to Rs79.85, by Rs0.49.

The sale price of kerosene was jacked up to Rs65.57per litre, up Rs0.72. The price of light diesel oil was increased to Rs62.67, by Rs1.32 per litre.

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TAUNTON: Pakistan cricket team management present in England stopped three players - Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer and Salman Butt ? from taking part in practice and they are being sent to London.

Sources said that Pakistan high commissioner in England Wajid Shamsul Hasan has summoned these three players to London where they are also expected to meet with wellknown lawyer Elizabeth Robert.

All three players have been charged for match-fixing.

As per sources, replacements of these three players may be announced but the accused players cannot go outside England until the investigations are completed.

Meanwhile, an important meeting is going on between Waqar Younis, Shafqat Rana and Ijaz Ahmed.

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LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued notices to Sports Minister Ijaz Jakhrani and Chairman PCB Ijaz Butt, summoning duo on September 7 in response to petition in connection with match fixing allegation on Pakistani players in Lord?s Test, Geo News reported.

The petitioner Advocate Ishtiaq Chaudhry pleaded before court that players, involved in match fixing allegations, have maligned name of Pakistan worldwide, seeking stern punishment for them.

The petitioner also recommended honorable court for banning involved players from all forms of cricket for lifetime.

Consequently, LHC issued notices to PCB Chairman and Sports Minister to appear before court on September 7.

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Three people have been arrested by Customs officials in connection with betting allegations against Pakistani cricket players.

Two men and a woman, all from London, were questioned yesterday as part of an investigation into money laundering before being released on bail, HM Revenue and Customs said.

The development came as it was announced that three Pakistan cricketers will meet officials from their country in London tomorrow.

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LARKANA: Thirteen more villages have submerged under floodwater as efforts to fill the breaches developed in Larkana Canal have failed miserably, Geo News reported Wednesday.

Roaring flood tides are now heading to Badah tehsil.

Meanwhile, two new cracks have developed in MNV Drain near Khairpur Nathan Shah.

According to Irrigation Department sources, raging floodwaters unleashed from two new breaches have washed away two more Goths.

Surging floodwaters have sustained massive pressure against temporary protective embankment built for safety of Shahdadkot District with officials and administrators fearing that the district will remain under danger within next 24 hours.

Floodwaters have been wreaking havoc in Sujawal tehsil of Thatta for last three days with houses, shops, schools, hospitals and grounds inundated under 5-feet deep stagnant water, witnesses told media, adding that officials have failed to rescue stranded people to safer places.

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TAUNTON: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Tuesday it would not suspend players embroiled in betting scam allegations while the claims are investigated, though they are set to miss the next match.

Meanwhile British authorities revealed they had made three arrests on money laundering grounds, which sources confirmed were linked to the cricket scandal.

Though the PCB has said it will not suspend the players, they are travelling to London on Wednesday ahead of a meeting with officials, which will effectively rule them out of contention for Pakistan’’s next match, against county side Somerset in Taunton on Thursday.

A PCB spokesman told media: “Chairman Ijaz Butt just told me that since there is a case going on with the Scotland Yard we are not going to suspend any player.

“He further said that this is only an allegation so far. There is still no charge or proof on that account. So at this stage there will be no action taken.”

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has promised “prompt and decisive action” if the “spot-fixing” allegations made by a British newspaper are proven.

Customs officials in Britain said they had arrested and bailed two men and a woman from London on Sunday as part of an investigation into money laundering. A source confirmed the arrests were linked to the cricket scandal.

They were a man and a woman, both 35, from Croydon in south London and a 49-year-old man from Wembley in northwest London.

“These individuals were arrested, questioned and have been bailed pending further investigation,” Her Majesty’’s Revenue and Customs said in a statement.

The News of the World tabloid alleges that Mazhar Majeed, a 35-year-old Croydon-based agent for several Pakistan players, took 150,000 pounds (185,000 euros, 230,000 dollars) to arrange for deliberate no-balls to be bowled at precise points in the final Test match against England in London last week.

The information would be of enormous value to the spot-betting industry, where money is wagered on specific incidents in matches.

The beleaguered Pakistan team was training for the rest of the tour in Taunton, southwest England.

But three of the players named in the allegations — Test team captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif — have been summoned to a meeting with top Pakistani officials in London.

Team manager Yawar Saeed said they would meet with Ijaz Butt and Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan’’s high commissioner (ambassador) to Britain.

It appears increasingly likely the three players will play no part in the rest of the tour, which comprises two Twenty20 matches and a five-match one-day international series against England.

A UK newspaper said the ICC had informally asked Pakistan for the named players to be dropped from the squad.

Citing ICC sources, other reports claimed that the same players had been under investigation for months by their anti-corruption unit.

Pakistan held a training session Tuesday at the County Ground in Taunton, but reporters were barred on the request of the Pakistan team.

Somerset Chief Executive Richard Gould told media: “I think in these particular circumstances, we understand.”

The world of cricket has reacted with shock and dismay to claims that huge sums of money had changed hands in alleged fixing schemes at international level, linked to shadowy betting rings.

The News of the World claimed it had paid middleman Majeed for advance details of three no-balls in the Test match at Lord’’s.

Majeed was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers in the wake of the allegations, but was released on bail without charge on Sunday.

Detectives interviewed Test captain Butt, plus bowlers Asif and 18-year-old prodigy Aamer, who delivered the no-balls — normally an accidental and unpredictable occurrence — and police seized their mobile phones.

Investigators from the ICC’’s anti-corruption and security unit are in Britain looking into the allegations.

Agent Umran Khan, who represents several Pakistan players not named in the allegations, including one-day captain Shahid Afridi, repeated this, telling PakPassion.net: “My players have absolutely nothing to do with it.”

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