Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Rebel groups in Pakistan have warned international cricketers to immediately withdraw from the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL), placing the 11th edition of the tournament in a security crisis days ahead of its start on March 26.The statement, issued by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesperson Asad Mansoor, frames the T20 league as a “cruel mockery” of the suffering in regions such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The “advisory” from the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, warns international cricketers to withdraw from the PSL, claiming the safety of international players cannot be guaranteed given the current volatile and precarious security landscape.The group asserted they would not permit the “dignity of the people to be compromised for the sake of political optics” or allow the “blood of the oppressed to be overshadowed by the lights of a stadium”.“In a climate where military operations and civil unrest dominate significant portions of the territory, the safety of international athletes cannot be guaranteed. Given these dire circumstances, we strongly advise you to prioritise your personal security and withdraw. The organised spectacle of the PSL serves as a cruel mockery of our suffering,” it said.This threat comes at a sensitive time as Pakistan has been embroiled in escalation in rebel activity, leading the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to restrict the tournament to just two venues, Karachi and Lahore, and also keep spectators out.Despite the ultimatum, the PCB has claimed that the tournament would proceed as scheduled.
