Security tightened for Sri Lanka Team after suicide bombing in Islamabad

Pakistan has ramped up security for the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team following a deadly suicide bombing outside a judicial complex in Islamabad that killed 12 people and injured many. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and Federal Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, personally met the Sri Lankan squad to assure them of fool-proof protection throughout their stay.

Pakistan Blames TTP and Points to Afghanistan

Authorities have once again accused Afghanistan’s Taliban regime of allowing the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to use its soil for terror operations. The latest suicide attack and a foiled strike on Wana Cadet College, where over 300 students were evacuated safely, have reignited tensions between the two neighbours after peace talks in Doha failed.

Vigilance After Past Incidents

Federal Information Minister Ata Tarar said quick action by security forces averted another tragedy on the scale of the 2018 Peshawar school attack. The memory of the 2009 assault on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, which halted international cricket in Pakistan for a decade, still looms large. Three years ago, New Zealand abruptly cancelled a series in Rawalpindi over credible terror threats.

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Army and Rangers Deployed

Now, the Pakistan Army and paramilitary Rangers are jointly overseeing security for the Sri Lankan players and officials. The team is scheduled to play three ODIs in Rawalpindi before joining a T20 triangular series with Zimbabwe from November 17 to 29.

A Test Beyond the Pitch

As Pakistan strives to prove itself a safe sporting venue once again, ensuring the Sri Lankan team’s safety has become as crucial as the matches themselves.