Pakistan has mobilised its army and paramilitary forces to ensure the safety of the Sri Lankan cricket team during their ongoing tour, following a deadly suicide bombing in Islamabad.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi informed parliament that Army Chief
Asim Munir had discussed security arrangements with Sri Lankan Defence Minister Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon.
"Our army and paramilitary are deployed for the Sri Lankan team's security," he added.
The Sri Lankan players initially expressed serious concerns about remaining in Pakistan after the bombing incident. However, their concerns were addressed promptly.
"The Sri Lankan president personally spoke to the (cricket) team yesterday and encouraged them to play," Naqvi added.
The team's accommodation and the cricket stadium are located within 10 kilometres of the bombing site.
A video of the high-level security arranged by Pakistan is circulating on social media, showing convoys of security vehicles escorting the Sri Lankan team buses.
Watch:
The Sri Lanka Cricket Board confirmed that several players requested to return home after the blast, which was the first attack on civilians in the capital in ten years.
The board has directed the team to continue the tour after receiving comprehensive security assurances from Pakistani authorities. Players choosing to leave early would face a formal review of their actions.
The recent suicide bombing near an Islamabad court resulted in 12 fatalities and 27 injuries. Simultaneously, militants attacked a military-run school in Wana, killing three people before security forces neutralised the attackers.
Pakistan attributed these attacks to militants based in Afghanistan with alleged Indian support. Both Kabul and New Delhi have denied these allegations.
"Our army and paramilitary are deployed for the Sri Lankan team's security," he added.
These incidents have brought back memories of the 2009 attack on Sri Lanka's team in Lahore. That attack injured six players and led to Pakistan hosting its home matches in the United Arab Emirates for several years.
Security conditions in major Pakistani cities have improved since then, allowing international cricket to resume. Sri Lanka's 2019 tour marked the return of Test cricket to Pakistan.
The current tour includes a three-match one-day series in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, followed by a Twenty20 tri-series featuring Zimbabwe.
"The Sri Lankan president personally spoke to the (cricket) team yesterday and encouraged them to play," Naqvi added.
The board has instructed the team to stay, stating Pakistan's authorities had given "foolproof" security guarantees.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the attacks had put the country in a "state of war".
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