Terror shadow on Pakistan`s national sports events

As if foreign teams and sportsmen refusing to tour Pakistan due to security concerns was not bad enough, even internally, recent terror targets are being seen as dangerous for conducting national-level events.

Karachi: As if foreign teams and sportsmen refusing to tour Pakistan due to security concerns was not bad enough, even internally, recent terror targets like Peshawar are being seen as dangerous for conducting national-level events.

According to a report in a Pakistani newspaper, the Sindh Olympic Association is having second thoughts about sending its contingent to take part in the National Games being held in Peshawar from November 15. The report said the recent terrorist attacks in Peshawar and North West Frontier Province had left the SOA unsure about sending its officials and athletes for the games. Sindh is due to send a 350 member contingent to the games in which around 5000 athletes and officials will take part."We have received our accreditations from the organizers but yes it is a fact that we have adopted a wait and see policy because of the security situation in Peshawar and the NWFP province," Ali Ahmed, the SOA secretary said. "We will decide on participating in the games after monitoring the security situation there," he said.Ahmed conceded that some other associations were also not enthusiastic about taking part in the games. But the NWFP government has insisted it would hold the games. The Tehreek-e-Taliban had launched a series of brazen suicide bomb attacks in crowded market places in NWFP and Punjab province after the military stepped up its operation against them in SWAT valley. Bureau Report