When the Indian women’s cricket team refused to take the championship trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi during the post-match presentation ceremony on Sunday, it caused a stir at the Women’s Asia Cup final.

After defeating the reigning champions Sri Lanka, the Indian players refused to collect the trophy from the ACC president, despite Naqvi being the main guest at the championship match.

The episode is reminiscent of the Indian men’s cricket team scandal from the previous year, when the players declined to accept the trophy from Naqvi during the presentation ceremony.

On the field, however, India put on a commanding display to defeat Sri Lanka by 72 runs and win the Women’s Asia Cup for the eighth time in history.

According to an official statement, the Punjab government has implemented Section 144 throughout the province from September 13 to September 17 in order to uphold law and order and guaranty the safety of people and property.

The Punjab Home Department claimed to have received extremely sensitive reports from intelligence and law enforcement agencies suggesting that terrorist groups that were prohibited were allegedly preparing attacks on demonstrations and public events.

The notification forbids meetings of five or more individuals in public areas, on public roadways, and in open spaces.

During the limitation period, demonstrations, sit-ins, public gatherings, and processions will all be prohibited.

It is also forbidden to carry or show any kind of firearm in public.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) emir Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has said that the party’s planned long march on September 20 will change the course of politics in the country.

Addressing a public rally in Timergara against the petroleum levy and rising inflation, Hafiz Naeem congratulated the party leadership and workers for organising what he described as a successful gathering that turned into a large public rally within hours.

The JI chief warned the government to understand the situation in advance, saying that the party’s movement would intensify if the rulers failed to provide relief to the people.

He said the sit-in in Batkhela had turned into a major public rally, while protests and sit-ins were also continuing in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Balochistan.

Hafiz Naeem claimed that JI had brought people together across the country and was campaigning for their rights. He criticised the government’s economic policies, particularly its stance on interest rates, and alleged that the authorities were reluctant to take decisions that could displease the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“Even a slight reduction in the interest rate can save billions of rupees from the national treasury,” he said.

The JI emir also alleged that the banking, sugar, flour and independent power producer (IPP) sectors were operating as mafias in collusion with one another and benefiting at the expense of the public. He said such interests existed across political parties and that the issue was not limited to any single political group.

According to Hafiz Naeem, workers from other political parties were also joining the JI-led movement. He criticised the rulers for failing to reduce government expenditure, saying his party had urged them to use smaller vehicles but they were unwilling to listen.

He further claimed that the government had lost the argument at the negotiating table with JI. If relief was not provided to the people, he warned, decisions would be made on the streets and the party could launch a movement seeking to oust the government.

Referring to the Sharif brothers, Hafiz Naeem said Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif were facing difficult circumstances. He added that JI’s leadership and workers remained united, with no distinction between the party’s leadership and its rank and file.