During the period of January to October 2021, domestic manufacturing mobile plants in Pakistan produced 18.87 million mobile units, including 7.93 million 4G mobile phones compared to 9.45 million imported mobile phones.

The Ministry of Commerce’s ‘Make in Pakistan’ philosophy is giving the results and “we look forward for sustainable growth for the long run.”

The Karachi Kings Tuesday announced that Babar Azam will lead Karachi Kings in Pakistan Super Legaue 7.

According to a statement issued in this regard, Azam, while reacting to his selection as the skipper, said: "This is such an honour for me that the whole team, including Imad Bhai, have entrusted me with the captaincy of our beloved Karachi Kings team. This means the world to me."

"I will work as hard as possible to take the team to even greater heights than what we’ve already achieved so far. Karachi and the Kings is my home and family away from home and my promise is that I will give it my all to make sure we keep on growing toward bigger and better things," Azam said.  

On the other hand, Imad Wasim, a member of Karachi Kings since the first season and captain since 2018, who captained the team to become PSL 5 Champions, also beamed with pride while announcing Azam's captaincy.

“Babar is a younger brother, a great friend, and a teammate and seeing him grow into this role has been a great privilege as a captain as well as a fan of the game," Wasim said.  "It is truly a sign of where this franchise is headed that we have all unanimously accepted it will be under his leadership that the future of the Kings lies."

Franchise owner Salman Iqbal said that Babar has been a part of the franchise for over six years and has been at the heart and soul of the team since day 1.

"He not only represents everything the team stands for — conviction in beliefs and hard work, selfless dedication to success, and always striving to make the team the best on and off the field, but is a beautiful human being and leader as well."

Team President, Wasim Akram and CEO, Tariq Wasi, were both present to add their joy and excitement at the announcement of giving the national skipper and long-time king the title of captain-- the King of Kings.

For PSL Season 7, further announcements on the team and the League will be forthcoming in the upcoming days. 

Russia would pay a high price for any new military aggression against Ukraine, NATO and the United States warned on Tuesday as the Western military alliance met to discuss Moscow's possible motives for massing troops near the Ukrainian border.

President Vladimir Putin countered that Russia would be forced to act if US-led NATO placed missiles in Ukraine that could strike Moscow within minutes.

Ukraine, a former Soviet republic that now aspires to join the European Union and NATO, has become the main flashpoint between Russia and the West as relations have soured to their worst level in the three decades since the Cold War ended.

"There will be a high price to pay for Russia if they once again use force against the independence of the nation Ukraine," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed Stoltenberg, saying: "Any escalatory actions by Russia would be a great concern to the United States..., and any renewed aggression would trigger serious consequences."

Tensions have been rising for weeks, with Russia, Ukraine and NATO all staging military exercises amid mutual recriminations over which side is the aggressor.

Putin went further than previously in spelling out Russia's "red lines" on Ukraine, saying it would have to respond if NATO deployed advanced missile systems on its neighbour's soil.

"If some kind of strike systems appear on the territory of Ukraine, the flight time to Moscow will be 7-10 minutes, and five minutes in the case of a hypersonic weapon being deployed. Just imagine," the Kremlin leader said.

"What are we to do in such a scenario? We will have to then create something similar in relation to those who threaten us in that way. And we can do that now," he said, pointing to Russia's recent testing of a hypersonic weapon he said could fly at nine times the speed of sound.

EU and other Western leaders are involved in a geopolitical tug-of-war with Russia for influence in Ukraine and two other ex-Soviet republics, Moldova and Georgia, through trade, cooperation and protection arrangements.

SOURCE: REUTERS