New Delhi: Insurgent groups in Pakistan have warned international cricketers to withdraw immediately. Pakistan Super League (PSL), throwing the 11th edition of the tournament into a security crisis just days before its start on March 26.In a statement issued by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesperson Asad Mansoor, the T20 league was described as a “cruel mockery” of the suffering in regions such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
An “advisory” from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, has warned international cricketers to pull out of the PSL, claiming that the safety of international players cannot be guaranteed given the current volatile and uncertain security landscape.The group asserted that they would not “allow the dignity of the people to be compromised for the sake of political ideology” or allow “the blood of the oppressed to overshadow the stadium lights”.“In an environment where military operations and civil unrest dominate major parts of the region, the safety of international players cannot be guaranteed. Given these dire circumstances, we strongly advise you to prioritize your personal safety and step back. The organized spectacle of PSL is a cruel mockery of our suffering,” he said.The threat comes at a sensitive time when Pakistan is grappling with a surge in insurgent activity, which has led 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 claimed that the tournament would go ahead as scheduled.
