Heightened Security as Sri Lankan Cricket Team Visits Pakistan Amid Tensions

Enhanced security measures are in place for the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team due to recent militant attacks in Pakistan. Tensions have escalated between Pakistan and Afghanistan following failed peace talks and military actions. Pakistan assures Sri Lanka of fool-proof security amid ongoing threats.

Security has been intensified for the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team following recent militant attacks in Pakistan.

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the Federal Minister for Interior, met with Sri Lankan officials to guarantee stringent security measures. Pakistan has again indirectly accused Afghanistan's Taliban government of allowing Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to use Afghan soil for operations.

Tensions between the two nations have heightened after peace talks in Doha failed, leading to Pakistan's military operations within Afghan territories. A suicide bomber recently targeted a judicial complex in Islamabad, resulting in multiple casualties, while security forces in Wana effectively thwarted an attack on a cadet college, ensuring the safety of around 300 students.

Federal Minister for Information, Ata Tarar, highlighted the swift actions of security forces as crucial in preventing an incident akin to the 2018 Peshawar school attack.

In 2020, the New Zealand cricket team canceled a series in Rawalpindi due to credible intelligence of a potential attack, underscoring ongoing security concerns that prompted Naqvi to personally assure the current visiting Sri Lankan team of their safety at the stadium.

A past attack in March 2009 on the Sri Lankan team bus near Gaddafi Stadium had led to the cessation of international cricket in Pakistan for nearly a decade. The Pakistan Army and paramilitary forces are now deployed to ensure the safety of players and officials.

After competing in the Rawalpindi ODIs, Sri Lanka will participate in a T20 triangular series featuring Zimbabwe from November 17 to 29.

(With inputs from agencies.)