India's concerns over Karachi remain

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials have met with the interior secretary and other government officials to discuss next month's home series against India, The News has learnt.

According to available details, PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan and director board operations Abbas Zaidi met with interior secretary Kamal Shah and other interior ministry officials on Saturday in Islamabad to discuss some security issues related to the Indian tour.

"The Pakistan Board has got some feelers from India that they still have some security concerns regarding playing a Test in Karachi and the Indian board will probably send a high-level security inspection team soon to finalise security arrangements for the tour," a board source said.

He said that even during the meeting with President General Pervez Musharraf, Shaharyar had discussed the Indians' tour and had been told in clear words that India must play a Test in Karachi after the successful organisation of the one-day game against England. "The fact is that again there are some issues related to Karachi which is one of the reasons why the Indian board is delaying approving the proposed itinerary sent to them by Pakistan."

Under the proposed itinerary, which has already been amended twice, India are due to arrive in Lahore on January 5 and then play Tests at Lahore, Faisalabad and Karachi with the one-dayers at Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan and then Karachi. Pakistan are keen to get the itinerary finalised and released by next week due to logistical and other reasons.

Last year when India toured Pakistan for their historic ground breaking series, they refused to play a Test at Karachi and only played a one-dayer in the southern port city which was a major incident free success. England also shunned Karachi as a Test venue on their current tour but relented to a one-dayer. Touring teams have shunned Karachi which has been at the centre of militant and sectarian related violence which, however, has been controlled by the government in the last one year.

The source said Shaharyar and Zaidi had met with Kamal Shah to get a clear directive and guideline on security issues surrounding the Indians' tour specifically Karachi. The Indians say they have sent the proposed itinerary to their government for final clearance and want to discuss it one final time with their team management before approving it.