ISLAMABAD, April 18: Pakistan has allayed the security fears of the international community by organizing the cricket series between Pakistan and India in a peaceful atmosphere, the chief coordinator security and protocol of the series, Arif Raheem, told Dawn on Sunday.
He said not only the players but Indian spectators had expressed satisfaction over the security and hospitality provided by the hosts. "They declared Pakistan a safer place for international sport events," he said. He said Pakistan was also looking forward for a similar response in India when the national cricket would visit there.
Talking about the bilateral issues between the two arch- rivals, Mr Raheem said the recent cricket series helped ease tensions between the two nations. "Pakistanis and Indians alike hailed the tour as a boost to bilateral relations that have improved drastically since the nuclear-armed neighbours nearly clashed over Kashmir in 2002," he added.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were very happy that cricket balls had taken the place of cannon balls, he said. "The goodwill generated by this series can force the governments to reach peace and open our borders," he added.
Mr Raheem said the cricket tour came at a crucial juncture in India-Pakistan relations, as the two governments embarked on a peace process to put behind them a history of acrimony that had led to three wars since independence in 1947. The cricket tour has certainly improved the climate for the India-Pakistan dialogue, but it would be premature to say that it would lead to success of the dialogue, he added.
He said the Indian players had won the hearts of the people of Pakistan by freely talking to them in markets, restaurants and other public places. On the other hand Pakistani crowd had shown great patience while watching matches and not a single untoward incident was reported anywhere.
Talking about the result of the series, Mr Raheem said: "This was a game. Somebody wins, somebody loses. We lost due to the bad performance of our team. But we are happy that there were no heart burnings." He urged the Pakistani public and selectors to show confidence on its young and inexperienced cricketers and hope for better results in future.nat01
