Category: Lahore

Lahore: All-rounder Salman Ali Agha has said that the Pakistan cricket team was confident of beating South Africa in the second and last test of the two-match series in Newlands, Cape Town starting from January 3 (Friday).

Talking to the journalists prior to a practice session in Newlands, Cape Town on Wednesday, he said the team lost the first test match in Johannesburg by a whisker, adding that the first test match was 'anyone's game' which the Proteas won due to tenacity of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen.

'Team's morale is very high as we lost by a close margin in the first test while we beat the Proteas in the three-match ODI series convincingly,' Salman said, expressing the hope that the second test match will be a 'cracker' of a contest.

He further said that the team has the belief that it can beat South Africa at their home soil, adding that they beat the Proteas in the ODI series but were a bit short in the first test match in Johannesburg.

To a question he said that the team was in good stead and no conclusions could be made about the pitch in Newlands, adding it looked a different strip from what team played on in Johannesburg with less amount of grass on the pitch.

About inclusion of a specialist spinner in the squad at Newlands, Salman Ali Agha, who is himself a spinner, said the team management will decide on it after having a look at the pitch tomorrow, adding that the statistics favour inclusion of a spinner at the Newlands.

'I just looked at the pitch and I thought I will bowl in this test match because I have not bowled during the past the three test matches I have played,' he responded to a question, adding his role will be important in the test match as an all-rounder.

About Muhammad Abbas, the all-rounder said 'Muhammad Abbas is very accurate and I have not seen anyone like him as he knows his job.' He was a bit rusty in the first innings of the Johannesburg test but he was outstanding in the second innings, adding it was Muhammad Abbas who brought us back in the game by claiming six scalps after Aiden Markram and Bavuma looked to finish easily. He further said it was amazing to see a quick bowl the whole first session on the fourth day of first test match in Johannesburg.

About the South African team in the WTC final, the all-rounder said that the Proteas are a formidable side with strong batting and bowling line-up, adding that their qualification for the WTC final speaks volumes about the quality of their cricketing skills.

Lahore: As per vision of the Chief Minister Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Air Ambulance Service and Motorway Ambulance Service were started during 2024 for shifting of critically ill patients from far flung areas of Punjab to specialized healthcare facilities and emergency services on all 76 motorways interchanges and 1588 km running through Punjab.

Likewise, the prestigious certification by United Nations INSARAG of Pakistan Rescue Team enabled to host two historic events of International Rescue Challenge and United Nations INSARAG Asia Pacific Exercise in Lahore, which brought 274 international delegates from 23 countries and 30 organizations in Pakistan that is great honor for the country.

These views were expressed by the Secretary Emergency Services Department Dr. Rizwan Naseer during Annual Performance Review Meeting chaired at Emergency Services Headquarters, which was attended by the all Heads of Wings of Emergency Services Headquarters and Academy in person and Divisional and District Emergency Officers through video link.

Secretary Emergency Services, Dr. Rizwan Naseer said that Rescue 1122 rescued over 2.2 million emergency victims during the year 2024 while maintaining its average response time of 8 minutes in all districts of Punjab. The data showed 22.7 percent increase in the number of emergencies as compared to previous year 2023.

He was presiding over an Annual Performance-2024 Review meeting, which was held at Emergency Services Headquarters here on Wednesday. The Secretary was briefed about rescue operations during 2024 which include 1.5 million medical emergencies, 467,561 road traffic crashes, 56,260 delivery cases, 55,589 fall from height/ slip, 45,857 crime, 28,018 fire incidents, 23,088 occupational injuries, 12,860 electric shock, 12,689 animal rescue operations, 4,528 burn cases, 1,150 drowning, 691 structural collapse and 50,032 others miscellaneous emergencies.

At this occasion, Provincial Monitoring Cell briefed Secretary Emergency Services that 467,561 Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) took place across the Punjab in 2024, whereas 420,387 RTCs were reported in 2023 with an increase of 11.2 percent. Similarly, 28,018 fire incidents were reported in all districts of Punjab in 2024 whereas 20,665 cases of fires were reported in 2023 with increase of 35.6 percent. Rescue 1122 managed 1.5 million medical emergencies in 2024, whereas the Service responded to 1.17 million medical emergencies in 2023 with increase of 29.1 percent. Furthermore, the Punjab Emergency Service responded to 45,857 crime emergencies in 2024, as compared to 43,302 in 2023 with increase of 5.9 percent cases.

Provincial Monitoring Cell further briefed that during last year 131,773 victims were provided Patients Transfer Services free of cost from primary healthcare facility to specialized advance healthcare facility and 47 critically ill patients shifted from far flung areas of Punjab to specialized healthcare facilities through Air Ambulance Service. Besides that, Motorbike Rescue Service responded over 1 million emergencies with average response time of 4 minutes in all districts of Punjab in 2024.