Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has set up a high-profile committee, headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, to help determine whether Pakistan will travel to India for the ODI World Cup in October this year.
Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Ehsanur Rehman Mazari confirmed the development, which comes in response to a letter by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sent to the prime minister and the interior and foreign ministries earlier this week asking for formal permission to take part in the tournament.
"The prime minister has formed a committee to be headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Tariq Fatemi will be the coordinator for the committee, which will deliberate on the issue and submit its recommendations," Mazari confirmed to The Express Tribune.
The members of the committee include federal ministers Rana Sanaullah, Azam Nazir Tarar, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Asad Mahmood, Aminul Haque and Qamar Zaman Kaira.
The foreign secretary, and representatives from national security institutions are also part of the high-profile committee, which will be responsible to oversee all matters concerning the World Cup in India, and the ultimate decision will be made based on its recommendations. The approved recommendations will be sent to the premier for final approval.
Read more: Pakistan's proposed schedule for 2023 World Cup revealed
Speaking to The Express Tribune Mazari said he personally feels that the national team should go if the Indian team comes to Pakistan for playing the Asia Cup, saying if they come only then Pakistan team should go to India.
Based on his conversations with Indian media officials, Mazari felt that Indian players want to play in Pakistan but “Modi sarkar” does not permit them to do so. He reiterated that the Indian team should come to Pakistan as it not just leads to healthy competition but becomes the most-watched contest.
As opposed to Mazari’s confirmation, a key cabinet minister said that the committee has not yet been “notified” but added that the notification was expected in a day or two. A couple of other ministers, said to be named in the committee, also said that they have only heard about PM-constituted committee but have not yet received any notification.
It is worth mentioning that the participation of the team in the World Cup is contingent upon government approval as per the conditions set by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The ODI World Cup is scheduled to commence in India on October 5, with a Pakistan-India clash set to take place in Ahmedabad on October 15.
Apart from Ahmedabad, Pakistan are also scheduled to play matches in Hyderabad Deccan, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. The World Cup continues until November 19.
The neighbours are bitter political adversaries and usually only meet in international tournaments at neutral venues, most recently during the T20 World Cup in Australia last year.
Read the full story at the express tribune website.
