The committee formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup in India is considering sending a delegation to review security arrangements, reported 24NewsHD TV channel Thursday.
Last month, the federal government formed a high-profile committee headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for the deliberations over Pakistan's participation in ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, which is being hosted by India.
The committee, headed by FM Bilawal, comprises Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister of Inter-Provincial Coordination Ehsan-ur-Rehman Mazari, chiefs of the national security institutions, and foreign secretary.
The Bilawal-led committee met today for the first time at the Foreign Ministry with PCB Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf in attendance as well.
Most participants of the meeting agreed that Pakistan should go to India for participation in the World Cup. However, some suggestions did come of Pakistan skipping the event as India is also not visiting Pakistan.
However, there was consensus that a security guarantee will be taken from India before the team’s departure.
Pakistan will reach out to India and the International Cricket Council (ICC) for sending a security delegation. It added that if there is an agreement on sending a delegation then it will visit India in the last week of August.
Inter-provincial Coordination Minister Ehsan-ur-Rehman Mazari was quoted as saying that Pakistan had security concerns regarding the national cricket team’s travel to India for this year’s 50-over World Cup, adding that the matter would be raised with the ICC.
“We have demanded that the ICC should provide us a guarantee for security,” Mazari said.
He said the government also had some reservations regarding some World Cup venues and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would put these concerns in front of the ICC for a review.
Pakistan and India have played each other only in multi-team events at neutral venues over the last decade as bilateral cricket remains stalled between the South Asian neighbours due to soured political relations.