Zaka Ashraf, the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Interim Management Committee, has expressed concerns about the delay in issuing visas to Pakistani fans and journalists who wish to attend the World Cup in India. He raised these concerns with Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi.
Several journalists in Pakistan are awaiting clarity from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad regarding their visa applications, even though the World Cup has already begun. Initially, the International Cricket Council (ICC) allocated a quota of 50 journalists to Pakistan, but there were 206 applicants from the country. Journalists not included in the allocation have not received explanations for rejecting their applications.
Fans planning to attend the event have also experienced a lack of communication, with no apparent correspondence between visa application centers and the Indian High Commission regarding the visa process.
Last week, an ICC spokesperson mentioned that India was working diligently on the matter with support from the council.
The PCB has expressed its displeasure over the uncertainty surrounding the visa issuance.
In a recent press release, the PCB stated that Zaka Ashraf met with Foreign Secretary Qazi to raise concerns about the visa delay for fans and journalists. Ashraf requested that the foreign secretary take up the issue with India’s Home Ministry through the Pakistan High Commission Office in New Delhi.
Uncertainty in The Visa Process
The PCB emphasized its disappointment that journalists and fans from Pakistan are still facing uncertainty regarding Indian visas for World Cup coverage. Additionally, the PCB reminded the ICC and BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) of their obligations and terms stipulated in the host agreement to ensure visas for fans and journalists of participating teams.
The press release also mentioned that the PCB had taken “serious notice” of security threats reported in the Indian media. It requested the government to assess the security of players in India.
Recently, Indian media reported that local police had received a “threat email” from an anonymous sender, threatening to detonate the Ahmedabad stadium, where the World Cup final is scheduled to be played unless a significant sum of money was paid to a local gangster.
