The star-studded event, which has become a staple of Pakistan cricket and its achievement, will be attended by PCB chairman Najam Sethi and national cricketers.

However, senior batsman Shoaib Malik, who is representing Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League, will not be able to attend the ceremony.

Malik posted on Twitter, “I am going to miss the PCB Awards in person but I’ll be there in spirit of course. Playing for your nation is an honor on its own and this award ceremony is an excellent initiative to recognize and appreciate the hard work cricketers put in day-in day-out.”

Fast bowler Hasan Ali tweeted a photo of himself and teammates saying,“Landed safely at Karachi for PCB Award show”.

PTI for trust-based relationship with Washington: Imran to US envoy

World

Asian Mail

August 8, 2018

Islamabad, Aug 08: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday met acting US ambassador to Pakistan John Hoover and said his party believes in strong, trust-based relations with the country.

The two met at Imran’s Bani Gala residence.

The PTI chief, whose party has emerged victorious in the July 25 General Election, told the envoy that the ups and downs in the relations between the two countries is a result of lack of mutual trust.

He added that his party is looking to have strong diplomatic ties as well as stable economic and trade relations.

About the Afghanistan issue, Imran said Pakistan wishes complete stability in the country, adding that peace in Afghanistan is in the interest if both Pakistan and the US.

Imran further said that he has always emphasised on the need for political solution for resolution of Afghanistan issue. War and use of force will is not the solution, he told Hoover.

Imran has also met with Iranian and Japanese ambassadors, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi phones the PTI chief to congratulate him on election victory.

Imran determined to change Pakistan in five years

World

Asian Mail

August 7, 2018

Peshawar, Aug 07: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan addressed his party’s parliamentary meeting here on Tuesday, expressing determination to change Pakistan in five years. Khan’s whose party secured 116 general seats in the National Assembly in the July 25 polls, is set to become the country’s next prime minister.
“Change cannot come without sacrifice,” Khan stressed, adding that it was essential to cut down on expenses. The PTI chairman said that a committee would be formed and the expenses of the prime minister, president and ministers would be curtailed.
The PTI chairman spoke of poverty in the country and how 50 per cent of Pakistanis did not have access to two meals per day.
Khan also addressed the issue of appointments of the chief minister and ministers, stating that it was his responsibility to appoint them and everything would be done on merit. “There will be accountability for everyone and ministers will be given targets. Ministers will have to reach office by 9AM.”
According to the PTI chairman, no one would be issued the discretionary fund and this would be finished after legislation is passed. (Agencies)

Jaipur-based GiftsOnAir soaring new heights

Business

Asian Mail

August 7, 2018

New Delhi [India], Aug 7 (NewsVoir): GiftsOnAir.com has managed to create a niche in the start-up space in India in absolutely no time. The company has an innovative business model that involves bridging the gap between the online and offline markets and has also been nominated for the ‘Best Start-up of the year 2018’.
Founded by the 20-year-old Sarthak Khandelwal, a final year graduation student at Narsee Monji Institute of Management Studies, the company aims at providing an online platform through which they could come up with various cashback offers for the consumers to give them an ecstatic experience while making purchases.
With 300+ partners pan India including mobile and automobile companies, restaurants etc., they give cashback vouchers to the customers while going out to eat or shop that can be redeemed on theGiftsOnAir.com website.
Sarthak came up with the idea of GiftsOnAir.com when he was merely in 12th standard. “When you want something all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. The right mix of people can make your dream come true,” said Sarthak about meeting Shobhit Jhalani (Co-Founder and Tech Head, GiftsOnAir) and Apoorva Panday, (Co-Founder and Marketing Head, GiftsOnAir).
Sarthak Khandelwal, Shobhit Jhalani and Apoorva Panday, the three dynamic young minds behind the success of GiftsOnAir.com believe in ‘achieving more together’ with their partners.
“GiftsOnAir.com has also been nominated for the ‘Best Start-up of the year 2018’ was started in the middle of a complex market scenario where everybody was in a desperate need to survive within competition and was using the same mediums of marketing and communication, nothing different was being done. GiftsOnAir gave partners exactly what they needed, ‘exclusivity’. It helped the partners to acquire new customers and to retain the regulars. It has been a complete WIN-WIN situation,” said Apoorva Panday, Marketing and Creative Head of GiftsOnAir.
There is a lot of positive feedback that GiftsOnAir.com has been getting for quite some time now and also increased sales. In just the last 45 days the associate partners’ sales have increased 7 times. The sale of a restaurant have gone up from Rs. 1 lac to 7 lacs in the last 45 days and customer retention has gone up three times in automobile service with the GiftsOnAir deal.
Panasonic Mobiles India, which has a turnover of Rs. 2000 crores, has also joined hands with GiftsOnAir.com. The GoA team said, “This is another milestone for us and we promise there are many more to come”. They believe that ‘working together is always a better idea.’
As per the evaluation of independent agencies, the current valuation ofGiftsOnAir.com is estimated at approximately at Rs. 300 Crores ($50 Million).
With the company’s growing partnership in the market and envisioned by its founders as one of the future Fortune 100 company in India,GiftsOnAir.com is surely a big part of the start up revolution that has hit the IT industry of India and Sarthak Khandelwal is definitely India’s one of the youngest self made millionaire in the making and “born to make history”. (NewsVoir)

Hafeez angered by demotion in PCB’s central contract: sources

Sports

Asian Mail

August 7, 2018

KARACHI: Senior player Muhammad Hafeez who was demoted to Category B under the new central contract, is mulling not signing the contract, sources informed Geo News.

According to sources close to the cricketer, Hafeez has expressed strong reservations over the new contract which demoted him to the second tier category.

The 37-year-old, who did not feature in any of Pakistan’s five one-day internationals against Zimbabwe despite being part of a much-rotated squad, was featured in Category B alongside Faheem Ashraf, Asad Shafiq, Hasan Ali, Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan.

On Monday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had announced new central contracts for the upcoming year 2018-19.

A total of 33 players across five categories were included in the central contract.

Skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, Muhammad Amir, Yasir Shah and Babar Azam were included in Category A.

While Imad Wasim, Muhammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Muhammad Nawaz, Usman Khan Shinwari and Shan Masood were placed in Category C.

Ahmed Shehzad, who was provisionally suspended by the PCB last month for testing positive for a banned substance, failed to score a central contract.

The PCB also announced 25 to 30 per cent increase in the monthly remuneration for each of its categories and raised its players’ match fees by 20 per cent across all categories.

SAC approves revision of fare for commercial passenger vehicles

India

Asian Mail

August 2, 2018

SRINAGAR, : In order to provide immediate relief to the transporters and vehicle owners who are plying commercial passenger vehicles and are providing transportation facilities to the general public, the State Administrative Council (SAC), which met here last evening under the chairmanship of Governor, Shri N N Vohra, approved revision in the passenger fare of all commercial passenger vehicles keeping in view sharp rise in the fuel prices and other operational and maintenance cost.

In this regard, Motor Vehicles Department carried out the cost analysis based on all relevant inputs including fuel prices in the month of April 2018 and a proposal was submitted to the Transport Department. The Department convened a meeting of the Fare Revision Committee constituted for recommending increase in fare and freight structure, in which representatives of the various Transport Associations and Unions from across J&K also participated.

Police releases photo of suspected thief in Srinagar, seeks help from people to identify him

Regional
Kashmir
Top Stories

AM News

May 30, 2018

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday released photograph of an alleged thief in the summer capital, Srinagar, and sought help from general public to identify the suspect.
A police spokesperson said that on Tuesday, one Ghulam Ahmad Chattabali, a resident of Nalband Pora Chattabal reported to police post Bagiyas in downtown Srinagar that he was travelling on Monday in a local minibus from Kaksarai to Daresh Kadal. “Chattabali deboard from the minibus after found that his wallet was missing. The wallet contained cash amount Rs 33, 700 and cheque of Rs 19, 000,” he said.
“The complaint further stated that to his surprise, the cheque which was due on Wednesday was encashed on Monday from J&K Bank branch, Magam,” the spokesperson said.
He said a case was registered and investigation was taken up. “During the course of investigation, the CCTV footage was obtained from the J&K Bank from where the cash was withdrawn,” he said.
The spokesperson said that the general public is requested to provide information to police about this person so that he could be brought to the book. “The identity of the people who given any information about this thief will be kept secret,” he added.