Abrar moved to the summit after Rashid slipped one rating point behind the Pakistan spinner’s tally of 736 following an unimpressive outing against India.

The 28-year-old became only the fifth Pakistan bowler to top the T20I bowling rankings, following Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Imad Wasim and Shahid Afridi.

Abrar, who has played 10 Tests, 19 ODIs and 38 T20Is for Pakistan, has taken 133 international wickets. He is also ranked second in the ODI bowling rankings, 39 rating points behind Rashid, who occupies the top position in that format.

The Karachi-born right-arm mystery spinner has featured in nine T20Is for Pakistan this year and taken 15 wickets, including six in the three-match home series against Australia, which Pakistan won 3-0 in January and February.

Abrar said the achievement fulfilled a long-held ambition of his.

“When you start playing cricket, you have only one dream to represent Pakistan. Once you achieve that, the next dream is to become world number one,” he was quoted as saying by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s digital platform.

“I feel very proud to become the world number one bowler while representing Pakistan. I will continue working hard to achieve more success and win more matches for Pakistan.”

Abrar said improving his consistency had been a particular focus of his work.

“In the past, I had variations in my bowling, but consistency was an area I needed to improve. I worked hard on my consistency and that work has helped me improve a lot,” he said.

He is currently with Pakistan’s Asian Games squad, which is undergoing a four-day training camp in Karachi ahead of the competition in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

“My aim is to perform well and help my team win matches and return to Pakistan with a gold medal,” Abrar said.

The order comes as the Kissan Ittehad and PTI have announced long marches and sit-ins in Islamabad in the coming week. The PTI has announced a long march on Sept 27 to press for the release of its founder, Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.

A copy of the order, issued by Islamabad Additional District Magistrate Dr Anam Fatima and dated Sept 18, is available with Dawn.

According to the order, Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code has been enforced with immediate effect and “shall remain in force for a period of two months”.

The order prohibited gatherings of five or more people, as well as processions, rallies and demonstrations, at any public place within the revenue limits of the district, including the Red Zone.

Highlighting that “certain segments of society” were planning to organise “unlawful assemblies”, the order termed it “necessary to control such types of illegal activities which present a threat to public peace, tranquillity and maintenance of law and order”.

It added that processions and demonstrations being planned in the territory were likely to threaten public peace, cause annoyance and injury, endanger human life and safety, threaten public property and could lead to a riot in Islamabad. On these grounds, it stated that “immediate prevention and speedy remedy is required” to protect life and property.

In a separate statement issued on Wednesday, the district administration said that Section 144 had been enforced in the federal capital.

“No gatherings or assemblies of any kind are permitted in the city. Gatherings are also banned under the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024,” the district administration said.

It said that strict legal action will be taken in the event of a violation, adding that violation of the act carried a penalty of three years’ imprisonment.

“Citizens are urged not to participate in any illegal activity, and to cooperate with security agencies and demonstrate responsibility,” it added.

Preparations in the Rawalpindi Division and the federal capital territory to maintain security and deal with any emergency situation are in full swing in light of the potential long march by the PTI and other protests in Islamabad.

Section 144 has also separately been enforced across Punjab for 13 days, in view of “serious threats” to public peace, tranquillity, and the lives and property of citizens across Punjab.

The Punjab government has also requested the federal government to deploy Rangers in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Mianwali districts from Sept 22 to Oct 5 to assist the provincial police in maintaining law and order amid the expected protest on Sept 27.

In August, the federal government authorised the deployment of three companies of the Pakistan Army in Rawalpindi for six months to perform “sensitive security duties” and respond to any unforeseen situation.