Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi praised the Green Shirts for their spirited performance throughout the series. Photo: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
The government has decided to deploy military and paramilitary forces to protect the Sri Lanka cricket team after a deadly suicide attack in Islamabad raised security concerns during its ongoing tour, Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Thursday.
“And now, Pakistan Army, Rangers and Islamabad Police together are managing their security, and we are providing them the same kind of protocol and security as they are our state guests,” Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief, said while speaking in the Senate.
He was briefing the Senate on the security situation in the federal capital and explained the circumstances under which Sri Lanka decided to continue its cricket tour of Pakistan, noting that the result was achieved through sustained engagement between Pakistani and Sri Lankan leaders.
Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir had assured Sri Lankan Defense Minister Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon of the team’s safety, Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi told parliament in a live televised broadcast.
“Our own field marshal spoke to his defense minister and his secretary, convinced them and fully assured them [providing] security,” he added.
“Our army and paramilitaries are deployed for the safety of the Sri Lankan team,” he added. Naqvi said Sri Lankan players had raised serious concerns about staying in Pakistan after the bombing, but these had been addressed.
“The Sri Lankan president personally spoke to the (cricket) team yesterday and encouraged them to play,” Naqvi added.
The cricket stadium and the hotel where the Sri Lanka team is staying are less than 10 kilometers from the site of the attack.
The Sri Lanka Cricket Board said on Wednesday that several players had asked to return home after the blast, the first attack on civilians in the capital in a decade.
The junta ordered the team to stay, saying Pakistani authorities had given “fool-proof” security guarantees. He did not respond to a request for further comment Thursday.
The board said players who chose to return early would face a formal review to evaluate their actions.
Since then, security in major cities has improved, allowing international teams to return. Test cricket in Pakistan resumed when Sri Lanka toured in 2019.
Sri Lanka is playing a three-match one-day series in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, followed by a Twenty20 tri-series involving Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly expressed its gratitude for the personal efforts of the President of Sri Lanka, the Minister of Defense and the entire government of Sri Lanka for their decision to continue the cricket tour of Pakistan.
A resolution moved by Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the house appreciates the Sri Lanka Cricket Board’s decision to continue with the tour despite all threats.
The resolution also recognized the zeal and dedication of Pakistan’s Home Minister, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif for their strenuous efforts in ensuring the successful continuation of the tour. (With contributions from Reuters)
