Pakistan Team may be Targeted in India

[Secret Service]

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan has requested India to ensure ‘special security’ for its cricket team after Interior Minister Rehman Malik announced on Thursday that the government had received intelligence reports that terrorists groups may try to target them during the ongoing World Cup in India.


While the minister did not specify which group would target the players, or even what country the group was from, Malik suggested that the Taliban had begun to base their activities in India, where Pakistan is headed to for the semi-finals next week.


“The Taliban are active in India,” claimed Malik, quoting intelligence reports after a meeting with Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble. “Intelligence reports suggest that there might be a serious attempt [to carry out an attack] by terrorists during the tournament in India. Information is being shared with Indian agencies about the terrorists,” he said.


Pakistan has sent a formal request to New Delhi through its high commission, added the interior minister.


The Indian government has assured Pakistan that adequate arrangements have been made to provide security to the Pakistani team, said Foreign Office Spokesperson Tehmina Janjua.


In what appeared to be a related development, the interior minister also said that a terrorist has been arrested by Interpol with the cooperation of Pakistani intelligence agencies but the arrested person has no direct connection with Pakistan.


Noble acknowledged Pakistan’s assistance and said that Interpol had managed to arrest a terrorist from Sri Lanka who was allegedly targeting cricketers during the World Cup. The arrest was made after receiving information from the Pakistani government.


In an apparent bid to seek reciprocity, the interior minister handed over a detailed list of Pakistan’s ‘most wanted’ persons to Interpol and called for issuing ‘blue notices,’ which would expedite international cooperation for their arrest.


For its part, Interpol seems keen on developing its ties with Pakistani law enforcement agencies. The international organisation will provide €2 million to Pakistan for collecting data on known terrorists as well as for building up the capacity of 38 offices of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), according to Noble.


Shiv Sena threats

Terrorist attacks, however, are not the only threats facing the Pakistan cricket team during its matches in India. Several right-wing politicians have voiced their opposition to allowing Pakistan’s team to play on Indian soil.


“If the Pakistan team reaches the final in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena chief will decide whether to allow them to play,” said Manohar Joshi, the former chief minister of the Indian state of Maharashtra.


Mumbai, where the final match of the ICC ricket World Cup 2011 is to be held, is the capital city of Maharashtra, and a strong-hold of the right-wing Shiv Sena party, which is known for its anti-Pakistan stance.


Indian authorities, earlier this month, had announced that militants from neighbouring countries might target the visiting teams, in what some observers saw as a veiled reference to Kashmiri militant groups that New Delhi accuses Pakistan of supporting.

World Cup: Pakistan team may be targeted in India – The Express Tribune

 

[Mujeeb47]

Lets see whats happen ! Best wishes for our team.

 

[jay89]

i hope our and indian team will be safe,and most importantly the match will be a crunch.mo matter who loses or who win its still a game it aint a war,let be peace between these two countries.regards

 

[azfar]

what a joke, when these so called taliban can hit pakistani team easily in pakistan, why need to go to india? unless staged.

 

[BATMAN]

what a joke, when these so called taliban can hit pakistani team easily in pakistan, why need to go to india? unless staged.

Perhaps because, Indian border is less guarded than Afghan.
Of course no Pakistani can believe it but such news and drams are meant for those who do not even know where lies Pakistan.

 

[Luftwaffe]

Rubbish news, Rehman Malik is maligning Pakistan's name just for the sake of foreign $$. Every fk that takes place Rehman malik has the answer to it with-in seconds.

 

[BATMAN]

Rubbish news, Rehman Malik is maligning Pakistan's name just for the sake of foreign $$. Every fk that takes place Rehman malik has the answer to it with-in seconds.

His is closing all the cases which he opened himself.

 

[sergente rehan]

Taliban...i don't hink they will gain any thing positive by targeting Pakistan Cricket team but only damage their already ruined status. The only threat is from inside India, like shiv sena or other anti-Pakistan elements.

 

[JonAsad]

Very annoying interior minster we have got- if Pakistan team was to be attacked by taliban- they could have done that inside Pakistan-

Our interior minister is putting unnecessary pressure on our cricket team- it will effect the focus and determination of players and thus the result- for that go fcuk your self Mr IM- you look like a clown and you sure are proving your self with such statements-

 

[Meengla]

Part of what I posted in another blogspace just now. Related to this.

I think the Indian cricket spectators are the most intolerant, the most racist, the most partisan, the most violent of any cricket playing nation in the world.

You would see a stark contrast to how well we Pakistanis treated the Indian team when visiting Pakistan in the last decade when compared with the ‘Aalo’ ‘Aalo’ chants when Inzimam was on field inside India. Heck, your spectators even boo-eed Tendulkar because he did not perform that well in a few innings against Pakistan inside India. I also remember some saner Indians in the blogspace apologizing for Indian spectators’ lack of good manners.

So why am I brining this up now?

Because I am genuinely afraid for the safety of the Pakistani team while inside India. Especially if/when Pakistan beats India in the Semi. I think the Pakistani team has walked into a den of….

 

[Pak_Sher]

The threat from hindu terrorists cannot be ignored.

 

[jayron]

what a joke, when these so called taliban can hit pakistani team easily in pakistan, why need to go to india? unless staged.

Staged by whom?

 

[humanfirst]

According to rehman malik one terrorist who departed from karachi was arrested from maldives airport by interpol,with the help of pak intelligence.It's good that pak authorities have started taking action against terror originating from it's soil-more kasabs and faizal shahzads will only ruin the image of their nation further down the drain..Good job rehman malik..

 

[humanfirst]

Very annoying interior minster we have got- if Pakistan team was to be attacked by taliban- they could have done that inside Pakistan-

By attacking pak team in pakistan,they achieve nothing more than their usual suicide attacks,may be a bit more terror.But by attacking pak/indian team in india,these morons can fuel rivalry between these two nations and possibly trigger a war,which is a good thing for them because for ttp types,india and pakistan are both enemies...Also tension with india makes pakistan army reduce the pressure in north west tribal areas.

 

[Secret Service]

Rahman malik is a joker ...