Press Trust of India
Islamabad, March 11: The uncertainty over Pakistan’s participation in the World Twenty20 Championship finally ended Friday after the country’s cricket team got government clearance to travel to India following assurances of security from the host nation.
Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s executive committee, Najam Sethi, after a long meeting with Interior Minister Chaudary Nisar Ali Khan, said that the government has given the go ahead to send the team to India.
“The team will fly out tonight for Dubai and onwards to Kolkata,” Sethi said. “I have some good news for all cricket lovers who have been waiting for a long time that the interior minister has given clearance for the team to travel to India,” he added. Sethi said the clearance was given after solid assurances from the Indian government about providing security to the Pakistan team in India and after speaking to the Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi. The High Commissioner also met with the Home Secretary in New Delhi Friday in which the security arrangements were discussed,” he added.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs also issued a statement after the meeting, reiterating that security will be fool-proof for all participating teams. “The High Commissioner of Pakistan met Home Secretary in connection with the forthcoming ICC World T20 tournament in India. The discussions were positive,” the MEA spokesperson Vikas Swaroop said in a statement.
“The home secretary conveyed to the High Commissioner of Pakistan that all necessary arrangements are being made for all participating countries, as appropriate, including for security of all the participants concerned. Home secretary reiterated that as in the past all participants will be looked after and there is no cause for concern,” it added.
The clearance from the Pakistan government came after Nisar spoke to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is on an official visit to Saudi Arabia. “The Prime Minister gave approval after being briefed that the Indian Home Minister and Home Secretary had given solid assurances that the Pakistan team would be provided round the clock security in India,” an official source said.
After days of uncertainty, the decision to send the team came after getting assurances from the Indian government for providing top security to the Pakistani players, officials, media personnel and fans who will visit India for the matches.
The development came after Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that Pakistan team would be given full security and that the World T20 would be held smoothly and all teams should travel to India without any security concerns.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also tweeted and sent a message to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that top security would be provided to the visiting team in Kolkata.
