ISLAMABAD, Dec 27: The government has rejected a plan to open a visa counter at the Pakistan-India border to grant visas to cricket lovers from Indian Punjab for the forthcoming cricket series scheduled to begin in the first week of January 2006, an interior ministry source said here on Tuesday.

The decision was made on the recommendations of security agencies, the source said.

The source said visas would be issued now through the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and necessary directives had already been passed on to the high commission by the foreign ministry.

On Tuesday, a high-level meeting was held in the ministry to finalize security arrangements for Indian cricketers and spectators, the source said.

It was decided in the meeting that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) would install facilitation desks at Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi airports and other check-posts to facilitate Indian cricket lovers, the source said.

The centre has already issued directives to all provinces to make foolproof security measures for the guest team and Indian spectators, the source said.

The meeting was informed that 10,000 visas would be issued to 8,000 spectators and 2,000 VIPs.