ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has formally invited English cricket team to visit Pakistan to play a cricket series after the successful completion of the tour of West Indies and holding of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches in Karachi.

The invitation was extended by the minister to UK High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew who called on him here on Tuesday.

According to an official handout, Mr Iqbal informed the high commissioner of the improved security situation in the country and the government’s efforts to eradicate terrorism and extremism.

He said that the international community must acknowledge the efforts of Pakistan in eradicating terrorism and extremism from society. He said a stable economy had a great role in the war against terrorism.

“The successful holding of the cricket matches in Pakistan is a clear proof that we have defeated terrorism and extremism,” the minister was quoted as having told the UK diplomat during the meeting.

Mr Iqbal and Mr Drew agreed that the Pakistani students should be given admissions to the UK universities through the “Knowledge Corridor”.

Earlier, speaking at the inaugural session of Pakistan’s first International Counter-Terrorism Forum organised by National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta), the interior minister said “the international community will have to understand that what Pakistan is facing today is largely due to the failure of the world powers to discharge their obligations in the region”.

Mr Iqbal said in order to improve the situation they needed to work together and not to point fingers, not to blame each other but to find opportunities of collaborations “so that we can all pool our resources to bring peace to this region that has suffered for so long”.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2018