Lahore has suffered, Sehwan has suffered, indeed, all of Pakistan has been affected. The recent spate of terrorism in the country has triggered a wave of concern and anxiety that is genuine and legitimate; the state has stumbled in its responsibility to protect the public.
A better coordinated, more effective response by the state is needed against terrorism — and perhaps a clear signal too that state and society will not succumb to the threat of militancy. Controversial, then, as it may be, the decision to hold the final of the Pakistan Super League on March 5 is the right message at the right moment.
Certainly, the government and Pakistan Cricket Board’s attempt to politically cash in on the event is not to be welcomed. The secrecy in which, and seemingly political reason for, the decision to hold the final in Lahore are a textbook case of bad decision-making. But poor optics should not detract from the underlying soundness of the reasons to hold the PSL final in Pakistan.
First, eight years since international cricket abandoned this country, there have been undeniable gains in the fight against militancy and the state’s ability to secure events and arenas has improved. From Karachi to Islamabad, the country has hosted international leaders, summits and guests without incident over the past couple of years.
A cricket final would undoubtedly pose an elevated risk; but at the same time, the collective might of the state is focused on providing an incident-free sporting spectacle. Moreover, a successfully concluded PSL final could open up the space for other cultural and sporting events to resume.
That Pakistan is a nation at war should not be forgotten. Equally, the incremental gains in that war should not be ignored. It is time to repose a degree of trust in the state’s organisational capacity.
Second, and equally crucially, the government must not regard the imminent return of cricket to Pakistan as its own victory. Every effort must be made to make the occasion as apolitical and all-encompassing as possible.
That PTI supremo Imran Khan has already spoken out against a final in Lahore should be regarded as his legitimate right to political dissent. The PCB/PSL management may have their political differences with Mr Khan, as may the PML-N governments in Punjab and at the centre, but if there has ever been an occasion to transcend politics and, however briefly, come together as a nation, this is it.
Political leaders, cultural ambassadors, ordinary citizens and peaceable and prosperity-seeking segments of society should make the PSL final a festival of all that is inclusive and progressive in Pakistan. A foreign contingent of players would be an added endorsement of Pakistan striving to be normal.
There is no room for complacency, but cricket must be welcomed home again.
Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2017
