After cancelling Pakistan tour, New Zealand team to depart today

By
Ayaz Akbar Yousafzai
|

  • New Zealand cricket team to leave today in chartered plane.
  • Pakistan has granted landing permission to aircraft.
  • NZC had called off Pakistan tour, citing a "security threat".


ISLAMABAD: The New Zealand team, which called off its Pakistan tour unilaterally due to “security” issues, will depart today in a chartered plane, sources told Geo News.

A chartered plane has been arranged for the Kiwis which will take them to UAE and then to New Zealand.

Per details, the Civil Aviation Authority has granted landing permission to the aircraft.

The New Zealand Cricket on Friday backed out of the much-awaited tour, citing a security alert from their government. The Pakistani authorities had assured the NZC of complete security but they insisted on abandoning the series.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a statement had said that the NZC informed that they had decided to postpone the series due to some security concern and it is their unilateral decision.

“We have assured the New Zealand Cricket of the same. The Pakistan Prime Minister spoke personally to the Prime Minister of New Zealand and informed her that we have one of the best intelligence systems in the world and that no security threat of any kind exists for the visiting team,” the PCB had said.

The PCB had said the security officials with the New Zealand team have been satisfied with security arrangements made by the Pakistan government throughout their stay here.

In a statement announcing the decision, NZC Chief Executive David White had said it was simply not possible to continue with the tour given the advice he was receiving.

“I understand this will be a blow for the PCB, who have been wonderful hosts, but player safety is paramount and we believe this is the only responsible option.”

‘Conspiracy behind tour cancellation’

Later in the day, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed termed the cancellation of the New Zealand tour a conspiracy against Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference, the minister while declining to share names of those involved in this conspiracy termed the tour cancellation as an attempt to damage Pakistan’s efforts for peace in the region.

He had said that in order to ensure foolproof security of the foreign team and matches, Pakistan had not only deployed 4000 policemen but also commandos from Pakistan Army's Special Services Group (SSG) and Pak Army soldiers.

Sheikh Rashid had said, "We even tried to convince them to play the match without spectators however they were not willing to come.”

The had minister said that the government's team also reached out to Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was in Dushanbe to participate in the 20th Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of State Summit.

In direct conversation, PM Imran Khan had assured New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of complete security to the Kiwis.

“The New Zealand prime minister said there was no issue of a threat and added that the New Zealand government had received intelligence that the team could be attacked when it steps out to go to the stadium", Sheikh had said.

"It is their decision as we had deployed full security for their team,” he had said.