Category: Karachi

Karachi:Pakistan women’s cricket star Sana Mir has been included in the ICC Women’s Committee as one of the three current player representatives.

Former England player Clare Connor has been retained as the Chair of the ICC Women’s Committee, which also includes PCB Managing Director Wasim Khan as one of the Full Member representatives.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has congratulated Pakistan women’s cricket star Sana Mir for her inclusion in the ICC Women’s Committee as one of the three current player representatives.

Sana, the former Pakistan captain and leading wicket-taking spinner in women’s ODIs, is joined by Australia’s Lisa Sthalekar and Mithali Raj of India as current players’ representatives on the committee that met for the first time in London on Thursday during the ICC Annual Conference week.

“On behalf of the PCB, I want to congratulate Sana Mir on her inclusion in the ICC Women’s Committee. I am confident that Sana will bring great insight and knowledge to the group, which will only help women’s international cricket get stronger,” PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani said.

“Sana’s latest achievement will attract and motivate our young girls, which, in turn integrates with our strategy on the growth and development of women’s cricket in Pakistan.”

Sana thanked the ICC for the opportunity.

“It is an absolute honour to represent the current players at this elite forum and become their voice. Women cricket is growing around the world and I feel this is a very courageous and inclusive step by the ICC to have current players involved in the promotion and development of the game,” she said.

“We will be the voice of the players. We can take the notes from the committee and get the players on-board on how the ICC plans to promote the game. It is great to be a part of this committee and I look forward to giving my views and making a positive impact for the cause of women’s cricket around the world.”

KARACHI:Sindh Nurses Alliance (SNA) on Friday called off its 16-day long protest demonstration and boycott of duties following assurance by Advisor to CM on Information Murtaza Wahab and Secretary Health Sindh Saeed Awan.

Talking to PPI, Central Leader of Sindh Nurses Alliance, Eijaz Ali Kaleri, said the nurses of Sindh had ended boycott of all kinds of emergency duties and protest demonstration after issuance of a notification by the Sindh government. He informed that notification of four-tier formula had been issued in consultation with representatives of nurses.

He said the professional health allowance matter would be resolved soon following approval from the Sindh Cabinet. He said that 1100 new nurses would be hired through Sindh Public Service Commission to fill vacant posts. He said DDO powers issue for principals was likely to be resolved within few weeks.

Earlier, Sindh’s nurses completely boycotted emergency duties throughout the Sindh province, including duties at intensive care unit (ICU), pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), cardiac intensive care unit (CICU), labour rooms, operation theatres and wards, for a week in favour of their demands.

KARACHI:Recent findings point out that not just emotional and physical health, regular exercise also improves brain function in overweight and obese individuals.

According to a recent study, on top of its benefits for metabolism, mood, and general health, exercise also improves brain function. The researchers learned that obese and overweight individuals are prone to insulin resistance in the brain, where it provides information about current nutritional status, as well as the rest of the body.

As part of the study, 22 sedentary adults with overweight or obesity (an average BMI of 31) underwent two brain scans before and after an 8-week exercise intervention, including cycling and walking. The findings were discussed in the 27th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior.

Brain function was measured before and after using an insulin nasal spray to investigate insulin sensitivity of the brain. Participants were also assessed for cognition, mood, and peripheral metabolism. Even though the exercise intervention only resulted in a marginal weight loss, brain functions important for metabolism “normalized” only after 8-weeks. Exercise increased regional blood flow in areas of the brain important for motor control and reward processes, both of which depend on the neurotransmitter dopamine.

Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter for learning new motor skills and in reward-related learning and this research shows that exercise significantly improves dopamine-related brain function. One area, in particular, the striatum, had enhanced sensitivity to insulin after the 8-weeks of exercise such that the brain response of a person with obesity after exercise training resembled the response of a person with normal weight.

Interestingly, the greater the improvement in brain function, the more belly fat a person lost during the course of the exercise intervention. Behaviorally, participants reported an improvement in mood and task switching, which is an indicator of improved executive function.

KARACHI:A teenage boy was injured in a firing incident in Korangi area of the metropolis in the wee hours of Friday.

According to rescues sources, a 19-year-old boy, Kamran son of Muhammad Ashraaf, sustained severe bullet injuries when unidentified armed men opened fire on him in Korangi’s Bilal Colony.

The injured was shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center for treatment.

KARACHI:Fearing of possible arrest by National Accountability Bureau (NAB), former finance minister and leader of Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N), Miftah Ismail and former managing director of Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Imranul Haq reached Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday for pre-arrest bail.

The SHC bench, headed by Justice Iqbal Kalhoro, granted the pre-arrest bail to Ismail and Haq till seven days against the surety of Rs0.5 million each.

The bench stopped the NAB officials from arresting Ismail and Haq and also directed both applicants to cooperate with NAB officials in investigation.

However, Ismail refused to leave the court room till getting written order of the bail. “The government is using fascist tactics against opponents. I will not leave the court room till receiving the written court order,” he said

As NAB Chairman Javed Iqbal signed arrest warrants of Miftah on Thursday and formed teams in Karachi and Islamabad to take the former finance minister into custody, the PML-N leader along with former MD PSO approached SHC and submitted an application seeking pre-arrest bail.

Ismail reached the courtroom after submitting the bail application. Later, the court approved their pleas.

The NAB teams on (Thursday) conducted raids at Ismail residences in Karachi and Islamabad for arrest of Ismail.

Talking to media outside the court, the PML-N leader said there was no need for NAB to carry out raids. He said he had received notices after 3:00 pm yesterday for appearing before NAB at 10:00 in the morning.

Whenever, the accountability bureau had summoned, he had appeared before it, he said.

Ismail also termed the arrest of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as unlawful, adding: “Pakistan has never seen a man as sincere as Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.”

KARACHI:Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Friday demolished several illegal constructions in Karachi’s old city areas in its ongoing encroachment drive.

According to KMC Senior Director Anti-Encroachment Bashir Siddiqi, 250 shops built along a drain in the city’s Light House area were razed. The rooms built on the footpath near Adar Bukhari mosque Kharadar were also demolished.

The KMC also bulldozed a traffic police post built on the footpath near Zainab Market, while several other encroachment goods were seized from Passport Office Saddar.

He said the anti-encroachment campaign was being carried out to clear the main and sub-tracks in the areas for smooth flow of vehicular traffic so as to save the citizens from inconvenience.

It warned that if such encroachments were not removed voluntarily, the Anti- Encroachment Department of the KMC would take strict action against them.

KARACHI:Four people were killed and one other injured in different road accident in the metropolis on Friday.

According to rescue sources, a fast-moving trailer-truck collided with a car near Tool Plaza on Superhighway. As a result, three people, Qurban Ali aged 35, Huzoor Bux, 39 and Majied suffered severe injuries and died on the spot.

The bodies were shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for autopsies.

Separately, a teenage boy, Anwar was killed when a vehicle hit his motorbike near Malir Cantt. The body was brought to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center for medico-legal formalities.

Meanwhile, unidentified man sustained severe head injuries when a truck hit him while crossing the road in Baldia town Mash Goth. The injured was rushed to Civil Hospital Karachi for treatment.