Mohsin Naqvi Credits Military Chief For Salvaging Sri Lanka Tour Of Pakistan

Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, said on Thursday that the country’s army chief, Field Marshall Asim Munir, personally stepped in to secure the tour of the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team after a suicide attack in Islamabad threatened the ongoing ODI series and the Tri-nation series right after which also involves Zimbabwe. 

“Our field marshal himself spoke to their defence minister, secretary and convinced them and assured them fully of [providing] security,” Naqvi said while addressing the Senate floor, as quoted by India Today. 

He recalled that the Sri Lanka team had “decided to return after the bomb blast occurred,” but the security assurances made by the Military and government officials to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the team convinced them not to leave. 

“Our interaction with them began, their board, players and everyone decided with great bravery to stay. 

“And now, the 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 added. 

The crisis arose after a suicide blast in Islamabad on Tuesday killed 12 people, just before the first ODI match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was to start in Rawalpindi. The match went on as planned, but the second ODI, scheduled for November 13, was postponed to November 14 (today).

The Sri Lankan cricket board confirmed late on Wednesday that the team’s tour would continue, following high-level exchanges between Pakistan’s security and cricket authorities.

Naqvi also mentioned that the upcoming tri-nation series schedule has been adjusted. The Zimbabwe team has already arrived in Pakistan, and the matches will now begin on November 18 instead of November 17, with Rawalpindi as the sole venue instead of the originally planned split with Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.