Pakistan

Gilani announces half-day for Semi-final clash

Interior Minister makes announcement on behalf of prime minister; Sindh announces public holiday.

Express March 29, 2011

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Tuesday announced a half working day for the Pakistan and India semi-final clash on March 30 (Wednesday).

Interior Minister Rehman Malik made the announcement on behalf of Gilani and said that all government offices and institutions will close at 12pm.

The Sindh chief minister in consultation with the governor has announced a public holiday for tomorrow, sources at the Sindh Governor House said. All government offices, schools, colleges and universities will remain shut.

Director General Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) has announced that there will be no load-shedding during the match.

Speaking to the media in Lahore, Muhammad Khalid said if power cuts are observed in any area of the country during the match, the concerned authorities will be suspended.

Gilani, accompanied by several politicians and federal ministers, will watch the match Mohali on the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

According to a media release from the Prime Minister House, Gilani has invited heads of parliamentary parties to accompany him to watch the semi-final match at Mohali.

These include Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PMl-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr Farooq Sattar, Abdul Qadir Baloch, Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam’s (JUI) Laeeq Ahmad Khan and Parliamentary leader for FATA Munir Orakzai.

Besides party leaders, several federal ministers will also be part of the delegation. They include Federal Minister for Sports and SAFRON Engineer Shaukat Ullah, Information Minister Firdaus Ashiq Awan, Religious Affairs Minister Khurshid Shah, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar and former ministers, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Sherry Rehman.

COMMENTS (61)

mussarat hussain | 13 years ago | Reply Very sad even such a high-powered delegation failed to infuse "National Sprit" among Pakistani cricketers who embraced defeat with sportsman spirit. After all they did not disappoint host as a mark of goodwill gesture. Mussarat

PeacEPreVail | 13 years ago | Reply Good 2 c d maturity growing in both d countries ver d youngsters need peace rather dan Fite.. Hope evry1 soon realize dat al diz games f separatism iz done by politicianz 4 der greed.. After al v r al humanz... As a Indian, I do respect Pakistaniz too.. Terrorism iz a threat 2 dem too.. Dey too r battling against it!! I hope both d countries or rather educated people r lukin for peace... I wish 2 c a better tomorrow ver v invest time not hating each odr but standing strong 2 support ech odr n help solve issues hand in hand.. Cricket, Movies or anything that can bind us together iz a welcome change.. And em sure ven it hapenz.. No1 cn separate us again.. nt evn US.. :P GOD blez both d nation..

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CHICKKEN TIKKA | 13 years ago | Reply araree bhai, these guys are not going to US or Australia or some farway places like that. Just 150 KMs from Lahore,which just like one district to another. So what cost you guys are talking about? Only travelling cost. All Khaana- peena will be taken care by Indians. No productive loss to Pakistan as none of these guys are doing anything productive back home. So let them go and enjoy !!!!!

Azeem | 13 years ago | Reply @Chilli: what tax payers money? Oh, you mean American tax payers money? 170 million people live in Pakistan but only 2.5 million of them file taxes -- one of the lowest in the world. So, American tax payers have to subsidize for us. See http://youtu.be/dK5Gk1wvx10 at 4:02

khizer Jalal | 13 years ago | Reply <Hope that half day is worth it..yooo

J.Oberoi | 13 years ago | Reply @amir hanif: The "hottie" is none other than "Chachi Cricket".

Shahzeen | 13 years ago | Reply PAKISTAN shud win 2day!!!!!! v need a day off on thursday also..........................

Zahid Hussain Khalid | 13 years ago | Reply When a nation falls it takes refuge in TAMASHAS like the one promoted by country's leading media group, patronized by irresponsible visionless corporate sector and a government headed by known criminals across the globe. WHAT IS TODAY'S TOP PRIORITY: CRICKET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahmer Ali | 13 years ago | Reply Assalam-o-Allaikum Warahmatullah.The most rubbish and ridiculous statement given by PM Gillani because thus poor Pakistan's economy shall have to face billions of Rupees' fiscal loss within 10 hours and hundreds of thousands daily workers shall have to face the economical and financial problems and difficulties.This match will end within 8 to 9 hours but for the recovery of fiscal loss Pakistan shall have to wait for many weeks.This is a match only not the matter of life and death.Victory and loss are the parts of game.This match should be watched open-mindedly without creating any economical,fiscal and financial losses of Pakistan and its working people especially of daily wages' people.

canuck | 13 years ago | Reply Pakistani people are taking out bank loans to pay for food and these jokers are taking plane load of cronies on an all paid holiday. People deserve the government they vote for, Pakistanis can surely do better!

Inseeay | 13 years ago | Reply At this point I think its a good decision to involve the leaders of all major parties for this event. For Unity! For Pakistan!

J.Oberoi | 13 years ago | Reply No holiday in India. But ESPN-Star are streaming the match LIVE on the internet for Indian viewers for free. A lot of them will be watching the game while pretending to work - including yours truly.

amir hanif | 13 years ago | Reply what a hottie next to chacha cricket , grrrrrrrrrrrr

Billoo Bhaya | 13 years ago | Reply Can someone tell me who is this nice looking babe walking with Chacha Cricket????

Amir | 13 years ago | Reply wah!!wah!! India has become a picnic spot for all!! I know 1 plane of geelani will carry all these junta along who are dying to go to india ?? As an indian,i would be happy if they would have got some young generations students(boy and girls) from pakistan university who would have got a chance to visit india rather than these corrupt politicians! While going back ,we would like to give you laloo prasad yadav.raj thakre,baal thakre, ram vilas paswan,Kauna nidhi and entire DMK dynasty politics along with some chinese party of india for minority:P Please take them and dump them into frontier areas without food

Kan | 13 years ago | Reply PM Gilani is taking every party member as an insurance , he doesnt know who is with the Terror groups and planning to bomb the venue. The JUI guys will tell the terror machines to lay low for their own member is there :).. ha ha

Nazir Habib | 13 years ago | Reply PM Gilani thank you for letting us for once share your work load. Enjoy a half day holiday (Since every day is a holiday for the PPP GoP). From the 15th of this month the tax paying citizens are paying 15 percent "tax on tax" and there you are in cahoots with the fifty political 'chamchas' burning up our taxes. Better still 'our taxes and your tikkas.' Enjoy, laugh and make merry while the sun is shining and for a change take our COAS along because he needs to freshen up. Salams for 2011.

Saad | 13 years ago | Reply Why is the PM taking all of his colleagues with him when it was only him who got the invitation?!

behzad | 13 years ago | Reply This is something good but PM must take as few as possible with him....

Natasha S. | 13 years ago | Reply Sindh has a whole day off. Unfair. :(

ba ha | 13 years ago | Reply This is INSANE.!! If IMF forgave our debt we can take the year off??? What a PM?? - Dear Lord give one to India just like this one.

Omar | 13 years ago | Reply @Murtaza Ali: cant agree more with you, Murtaza!

sundar | 13 years ago | Reply Welcome Pakistani delegation and fans. Have a nice time, enjoy the game and let the better team win.

Murtaza Ali | 13 years ago | Reply One of the best decision ever by the government in which they have not consulted America before taking it.. :D

siddiq | 13 years ago | Reply Incredibly uninformed comments. The only additional expense here is the extra fuel charge for a plane that is already carrying the PM. But some extra expense is worth it since this is not simply a cricket match but an important diplomatic event. Having relevant decision makers on board will create a positive atmosphere for inter-party consensus in moving forward with India, not to mention that it will facilitate taking advantage of any impromptu diplomatic openings. On his visit to London for G20 and to India, Obama had an entourage of over 500 people. Obviously, we should not be comparing ourselves to a superpower, but the fact is that state visits are not like going solo to a friend's place to watch the game. They require the requisite experts and political decision makers in tow.

Singh | 13 years ago | Reply Come on guys it will not even penny for price of peace. If it hurt you guys so much I can pay for their trip if it bring both nation together on path of peace & Progress.

Noor Lodi | 13 years ago | Reply We better win this match. Or we will be losing billions for no reason.... I don't think there is a need to for a holiday. It is not like company is going to war.

Funny Chaps | 13 years ago | Reply Can`t help laughing.. Funny Fellows and all the silly hype.. Only the population on both sides are the fools. We Indians MUST ensure every politician who comes into India should go back to Pakistan. Also we Indians must conspire to send some of our useless Politicians into Pakistan.. :) :) Politicians are dangerous then militants..

Tilsim | 13 years ago | Reply Giving/taking a holiday for this provides further evidence that we don't take our national responsibilities at the time of a grave crisis seriously

Copper | 13 years ago | Reply Does India also have (half or full) holiday?

Sengathir | 13 years ago | Reply What will JUI guys do in Kaafirs land...?

Silent Spectator | 13 years ago | Reply Pakistan People's Party loves to (p)arty on the money of (p)eople of (P)akistan. I request the Indians to keep our 'leaders' for good as we no longer need or want them. On another note, it seems that we are outsourcing our Government jobs to India, well at least for one day!

pakistani | 13 years ago | Reply Shame on our Government . poor people paying tax on everything that is their need not for you to spend it on your n your ministers enertainment. Shame on u

Suresh | 13 years ago | Reply like "big fat Indian wedding"

Nafees Ahmad | 13 years ago | Reply Its sad story that the Pakistan economy is in serious distress and these kind of activities of our politician never comes to an end. Good use of flood tax. Wake up Pakistan.

Pakistani | 13 years ago | Reply OH MY...... They all are leaving and enjoy Match but General Public has to go to there work...No Public Holiday

Kamal | 13 years ago | Reply let them go...they are also entitled to some good time.They have promissed that they wo'nt say anything controversial.

J Oberoi | 13 years ago | Reply Arey bhai, the plane is anyway going. Aap logon ko kya farak padtha hai? It is Indian taxpayers' money that will be wasted. Additional security, additional khana, more tickets at the stadium etc. We only invited Mr.Gilani but looks like a whole 'paltan' is coming.

joy | 13 years ago | Reply welcome padharo mare desh.......... this is one invasion which I and most Indians like me welcome with open arms :) joy

Nasir Nawaz Bhutta | 13 years ago | Reply let them go......... they are not for Pakistan,they are just a sham in our country.We just down heads against their attitudes.Just pray that may Allah succeed our country and give us brave leaders...............

Addu | 13 years ago | Reply Chaloo jee, party on hai !!

No BS | 13 years ago | Reply and they want me to pay more tax for their joy rides!!!! After the semi's i am going to be on the streets till these incompetent, corrupt people are put behind bars

Ali Yaqoob | 13 years ago | Reply They should seek asylum there and not come back

Z. K | 13 years ago | Reply We need a holiday tomorrow!!

TightDhoti | 13 years ago | Reply What the hell. One second, weren’t all these party leaders boycotting the PPP leaders speech to the NA just last week? And where is the JUI guy going? I thought for him India was the centre of every anti-Pakistan, anti-Islam conspiracies? And why are former ministers going to India? At whose expense?

G.K | 13 years ago | Reply @ M. Tauseef Barlas well said...we also expect the same.

Khalid | 13 years ago | Reply chaloo dostoo awam ka khoon choosneein.........:-) mortein..

Anthony Mitchell | 13 years ago | Reply Trip participants may actually learn something.

Don | 13 years ago | Reply OMG so many uninvited party crashers! We only invited PM and the president.

Adeel | 13 years ago | Reply mujhay bhi lay jao... i am a tax payer...Plsssss

M. Tauseef Barlas | 13 years ago | Reply pls. give attention to economy, education, health, clean weter & pollution. this is what our country people needs.

Rana Asghar | 13 years ago | Reply PM should have gone with only couple of more people instead taking a delegation & all on tax payers money. We are paying for their holiday trip. When will they understand the meaning of austerity & humbleness.

Shahzad S. Janjua | 13 years ago | Reply I wish there does happened a terrorist attack, and the corrupt goes out asap basis. So that atleast we left with much less corrupt and tyrant people.

Arif | 13 years ago | Reply there goes part of the flood tax we will be paying. unbelievable!!!!

RKM | 13 years ago | Reply I have no issues them going, just give m an off...bas, just give me an off...khud enjoy kar rahay ho hamaray paison pe...let us enjoy on our money atleast :(

RKM | 13 years ago | Reply these guys having a ball...cant they give us an off too :(...if they do, i seiously have issues, take the whole national assembly...just give me an off

Sehrish Khan | 13 years ago | Reply Party on hai :-D

blizzard! | 13 years ago | Reply here goes more of our tax money... i hope the extras arent even allowed in the ground and not entertained at all...

Imran | 13 years ago | Reply MUFTAAAAA

Aamir | 13 years ago | Reply Oh please don't take our Rehman Malik, He will talk to media and will release another news against Pakistan.

Chilli | 13 years ago | Reply Lets have a party. Only PM was invited but he will take a whole bunch peers on tax payers money. PPP is ready to consume every penny left in our pockets. I hope media will soon release list of guys going to embarrass the nation.

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