November 30, 2002	Saturday	Ramazan 24, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 29: In a dramatic turnaround, Pakistan’s squash party that had been refused visas to compete in next month’s World Open by the Belgian embassy here, has finally been cleared to go.

Behind the scene efforts by the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) and the Foreign Office yielded positive results with the Belgian ambassador, Patrick X. Renault assuring them that the five players would be granted visas Saturday.

Now Mansoor Zaman, Shahid Zaman, Farrukh Zaman, Ijaz Azmat and Shamsul Islam would after all be attending the $160,000 tournament that opens on Dec 4.

The PSF president, Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir reportedly spoke to the foreign secretary and the involvement of Foreign Office indeed helped settle the matter.

However it required assurances to the Belgian ambassador from the Professional Squash Association (PSA) and the Foreign Office before an agreement was reached.

In a decision that had left the squash fraternity absolutely stunned, the Belgian embassy had refused visas to the players on Wednesday saying their interior ministry had not given them clearance.

But Friday the ambassador after being convinced on the genuineness of the case, told the PSF secretary, Wing Commander Sajid Waheed that visas would be granted to the players in contradiction to the decision of his country’s interior ministry.

In what seemed to be a last gasp effort, Sheila Cooksley, the Tour Director of PSA, informed the Belgian embassy that all the five players in question had previously participated in international tournaments all around the world and had exemplary disciplinary records.

She pointed out that the Pakistani players had made a considerable impact on the World Open, with two of the greatest players of all time -Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan - holding 14 World Open titles between them from 1981 to 1996, a record that is still unmatched.

Sheila, in a separate correspondence with the PSF earlier Friday, said that the Tournament Director, Robert Decant was in contact personally both with the interior minister in Belgium and the ambassador in Islamabad.

“Everything the embassy wanted has been provided but at the end of the day it is their decision,” she wrote.

An undertaking from the PSF’s Senior Vice President was also asked for by the embassy Friday which was duly provided, bringing to an end an episode that had begun more than a month and a half ago, when the applications for visas were submitted.

Mansoor and Shahid, who are currently playing in England will now proceed to Belgium directly from there while the other three will fly out from here on Dec 2.

Earlier, Cooksley, the PSA’s Tour Director, said: “We have despatched an urgent letter to the authorities in Pakistan, endorsing the players’ application for visas for the World Open. Furthermore, our promoter Robert Decant has spoken personally with both the Interior Minister in Belgium and the Belgian Ambassador in Pakistan.