Bangla Police to be stationed in Pakistan to oversee security

Karachi: A senior police official from Bangladesh will be stationed in Pakistan from later this month to oversee that all security arrangements for the proposed tour by the Bangladesh team in April are made without a hitch and followed in letter and spirit.

The police official will remain in Pakistan after a high level security delegation from Bangladesh visits Pakistan sometime later this month to meet with police, security and government officials to discuss and inspect security plans for the proposed tour by their team. The Pakistan cricket Board today dismissed suggestions that the reservations being expressed by some Bangladesh players through their players association on touring Pakistan could derail the proposed tour. "Look, the way things have been in Pakistan, security concerns, if any, by the Bangladesh players is understandable. But I think the situation is not the same in Pakistan as it was some time ago and it is improving that is why we now want to host an international team in Pakistan," PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf said. He said if the Bangladesh players had any concerns, the PCB with the help of the government would try to allay all such fears when the Bangladesh security delegation comes to Pakistan. "But in the end it is an internal matter between the Bangladesh board and their players and there is only so much we can do to assure them of full security protocol to them. What we know is that the Bangladesh cricket board is sincere about sending its team to Pakistan and we have a written understanding with them about this," Ashraf said. He said he remained confident that the Bangladesh board would fulfill its commitment of sending its team in April. "For me the most important thing is to get international teams to tour Pakistan that is why I decided to approach a brotherly muslim country for their support and so far the Bangladesh board has been very responsive and we have also asked our government to provide us with the best security arrangements," Ashraf said. The PCB chief said that the interior ministry had issued NOCs to the PCB to procure bullet and bomb proof buses as part of the security arrangements for the visiting teams. "We are also looking at the possibility of inviting an ICC international eleven team to Pakistan. Soon we want our people to see international teams play in Pakistan," he added. PTI