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-November this year.
Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Ehsanur Rehman Mazari confirmed the development in response to a letter by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sent to the prime minister, and the 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 tobe 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 will deliberate on the issue and and submit its recommendations,” Mazari confirmed to Daily City News.
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.
According to Mazari, the committee’s responsibility is 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, he said.
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.
