World Cup 2023: Pakistan raises 'serious concerns' over security threats in India

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday expressed serious concerns over the safety of the Green Shirts' squad amid security threats pertaining to the ongoing World Cup 2023 being held in India.

Zaka Ashraf, the PCB Managing Committee chairman, called upon Pakistan Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi urging the latter to ensure the safety of the national squad and convey Pakistan's concerns to India's Home Ministry via the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi.

The board also requested the Indian government to evaluate players' security stressing that the safety of the Pakistan squad was of paramount importance.

Furthermore, Ashraf raised alarm over the delay in fans' and journalists' visas for India to cover the World Cup.

In line with ICC law, the host country has to issue visas to fans and journalists for covering the events, but India has turned a deaf ear to Pakistan's hue and cry.

The statement said that the board is extremely disappointed to see that journalists from Pakistan and fans are still facing uncertainty about obtaining an Indian visa to cover Pakistan games in the ICC World Cup 2023.

The mega event began on October 5, but the Indian authorities are yet to issue visas to Pakistanis for attending the World Cup, leaving them in uncertainty.

In the meantime, PCB again reminded ICC and BCCI of their respective obligations and terms and conditions stipulated in the Host agreement to guarantee visas for fans and journalists of participating teams.

In a recent interview, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar stressed keeping politics away from sports.

"We would have issued visas to Indians if the World Cup was held in Pakistan," the premier said. Sports, he added, should be kept aloof from politics.