South Africa won 2nd test by 4 wickets

CAPE TOWN: Pakistan lost the three-Test series after South Africa recorded their second consecutive win by four wickets here at the New Lands on Sunday.

Chasing 182, South Africa completed their victory before the end of the fourth day, losing six wickets.

For South Africa, Hashim Amla was the top scorer with 58 while AB de Villiers made 36 and captain Graeme Smith scored 36.

Saeed Ajmal's 10-wicket match haul proved in vain as South Africa beat Pakistan by four wickets inside four days on Sunday.

South Africa have now won their last six series, and are unbeaten in 12. They have not lost a five-day match since December 2011 - 14 games ago - and has won its last six.

 South Africa, who had won the first Test by a huge margin of 211 runs at Johannesburg last week, lead the series 2-0 with the third and final Test to be played at Centurion from February 22.

Situation was uncertain for the women's team and players were overwhelmed by fears as no hotel was willing to give them security: Zaka Ashraf

RAWALPINDI: PCB chief on Friday blamed the women's flop in the World Cup on security fears in host India, claiming the players were "overwhelmed".

 Pakistan finished last in the eight-team event after losing all four matches, which were moved to the eastern city of Cuttack when the right-wing nationalist Shiv Sena party threatened to disrupt Pakistan's matches in Mumbai.

The International Cricket Council decided to house Pakistan at the club house of the Barabati stadium instead of a hotel for security reasons.

"The situation was uncertain for the women's team and players were overwhelmed by fears as no hotel was willing to give them security," said Zaka Ashraf, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after talks with Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

Pakistan team manager Ayesha Ashar said at the time that the squad was happy with the arrangements made at the Barabati stadium.

But Malik said he would raise the issue with India.

"Not giving security to our women's team is a concern and I will raise this issue with the Indian government," Malik said. 

Election Commission of Pakistan rejected a proposal by the government to lift ban on recruitment

Election chief dismisses gov’t request for jobs ban removal : 

The Law Minister had written to the Chief Election Commissioner for lifting ban on fresh jobs as the ban is affecting performance of the several government departments.

The Election Commission issued a formal directive notifying continuation of the ban on new recruitments and diversion of development funds.

It was‚ however‚ clarified that all vacancies‚ which were advertised on or before 31st of August last year‚ are outside the purview of the ban and may be filled-in.

Section of the local media had earlier reported that the ruling coalition had planned to recruit thousands of people before the election just for political purposes.

The government will complete its term in mid-March and new elections are scheduled to be held within three months. Some ministers have indicated that the polls could be held in the first week on May.

 The Election Commission said that all appointments shall be made strictly in accordance with the rules applicable to such appointments and purely on merit.

The institutions established under the Constitution are exempted from the ban on recruitments, a Commission’s notification said.

The Commission said requests from ministries‚ divisions‚ departments or institutions of the Federal Government or any department or institution of any provincial or local government including health and education department will be considered on case-to-case basis by the Election Commission.

About diversions of funds‚ it said no funds will be diverted from an ongoing project to a new or existing development project in any constituency.

The directive said the development projects already in progress may continue without interruption where no diversion of funds is required.

Requests from foreign donors to divert funds from one project to another will be considered by the Commission on case-to-case basis.

Diversion of funds in respect of projects of strategic importance will also be considered by the Election Commission on case-to-case basis.

Pakistan lost the first test by 211 runs at Johannesburg.

Johannesburg :When the 4th day game were started Pakistan at 184/4, depending on Misbah and Asad shafiq but Steyn struck immediately with the new ball and dismissed Asad Shafiq and Misbah in consecutive overs ending all hopes for Pakistan.

Asad Shafiq (58) and Misbah (64) were the high  notable scorer in pakistan’s second innings.Dale Steyn took the new ball. An hour and 40 minutes later, he was still bowling with it. In a spell that lasted 10 overs and four balls, Steyn grabbed four wickets to take his match tally to 11 and his status as the best bowler operating on the international stage at the moment to a new level.

Score:

Pakistan: 49 & 268 (Misbah-ul-Haq 64, Asad Shafiq 56; D. Steyn 5-52) v South Africa 253 & 275-3d.

 S.Africa leads the 3-match series 1-0.

 Pakistan play the second test of the series from February 14 at Cape Town.

Pakistan and Afganistan both countries could only survive in a peaceful atmosphere: Zardari

London: President Zardari was addressing a joint news conference alongwith British Prime Minister David Cameron and Afghan President Hamid Karzai here in London on Monday, after the trilateral talks on the post withdrawal scenario in Afghanistan.

The president said that both neighboring countries could only survive in a peaceful atmosphere. He said that Pakistan fully supports the initiative of negotiation between Afghan government and Taliban.

British Prime Minister David Cameron will hold key talks with leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan to discuss the peace process and prevent a Taliban resurgence when foreign troops withdraw from the war-torn country in 2014. 
The talks at Chequers, Cameron's country retreat, with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai will focus on cross-border security and the prevention of a "Taliban resurgence" when foreign troops leave Afghanistan by the end of next year. They are also expected to concentrate on how Pakistan and the international community can support the Afghan-led peace process.

Karzai, however, questioned the real motive behind troop withdrawal by the West, which includes around 9,000 British troops. "They feel fulfilled with regard to the objective of fighting terrorism and weakening al Qaeda, or they feel that they were fighting in the wrong place in the first place, so they should discontinue doing that and leave," Karzai said.