The tenth edition of Cricket World Cup has taken South Asia by storm – four host nations, forty-eight matches between fourteen teams at thirteen venues makes it truly a mega sporting event. Approximately two million people have watched the teams slug it out at the stadiums.
In March 2009, Sri Lanka cricket team was attacked by terrorists near Gaddafi stadium Lahore. Eight team members including a coach were injured in the attack. Security concerns forced International Cricket Council to strip Pakistan of hosting nation status and reallocate its share of fourteen matches (including one semi final match) amongst other host nations – Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. The ICC also shifted its World Cup Organising Committee office from Lahore to Mumbai.
The intelligence sources have revealed that terrorists owing allegiance to Lashkar-e-Toiba and a new-born terror outfit Jamaat-e-Ahle-Sunnat have purchased seventeen tickets for the final match.
Other than fans and bookies, an event of this magnitude also attracts the attention of the terrorists. Cricket is a game of uncertainties – not only during its conduct on the field but threat-wise weather and terror can too play spoil sport. The international sports broadcaster ESPN, which has broadcasting rights of the event had the event insured from General Insurance Corporation (India) for a whopping INR 600 crore against disruption caused by terror and weather.
Threat perception shows that all host nations of the world cup have credible terror threat against them. Bangladesh is known to be a conduit for terror activities against India. Pakistan is the epicentre of terror, as its ex-President Pervez Musharraf has admitted during an interview on Al Jazeera that terrorism is the biggest threat to Pakistan and it was most dangerous country (after Afghanistan) in the world. Sri Lanka is euphoric (and complacent) after delivering a crushing defeat to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. And, India is most cherished target – being a soft state.
Coming to Indian perspective, it is a humongous task to arrange twenty-nine matches at eight venues and address security concerns of players, VIPs, cricket lovers and general public. The police, CPO’s, NSG have been on tenterhooks to ensure security.
It came as no surprise when on 18 March the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India warned Government of Maharashtra about a possible terror attack on Wankahde Stadium during the final match on 2 April. The intelligence sources have revealed that terrorists owing allegiance to Lashkar-e-Toiba and a new-born terror outfit Jamaat-e-Ahle-Sunnat have purchased seventeen tickets for the final match. The terrorists are expected to infiltrate into India through Bangladesh.
Pakistan is the epicentre of terror, as its ex-President Pervez Musharraf has admitted during an interview on Al Jazeera that terrorism is the biggest threat to Pakistan and it was most dangerous country in the world.
Prior to this warning, the US had also warned India about possible terror attacks by al-Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Toiba on its vital installations along the coastline and world cup matches. The advisory also affirmed the presence of terrorists in India.
On 10 March, one Iqbal Mohammed, a Maldivian national travelling to Male from Karachi via Colombo was detained at Male international airport. Iqbal was identified by the Interpol’s Major Events Support Team deployed at Sri Lanka as he had a red corner notice against him, because of his involvement in a bomb blast in Male in 2007. He had fled the country and was living in Pakistan. The claims made by Interpol chief Mr. Ronald K. Noble and Mr. Rehman Malik, Interior Minister of Pakistan regarding Iqbal’s complicity in a terror plot against World Cup matches, failed to impress Maldivian judiciary, which released him on 27 March.
Recently Pakistan conferred a civilian honour – Hilal-e-Pakistan on an unassuming personality. Normally, such awards in Pak society are reserved for politicians, American diplomats, cricketers, nuclear scientists and like. Mr. Ronald K. Noble, the Interpol Chief is the latest recipient of one of the highest civilian award from Pakistan. On 23 March, on Pakistan’s National Day, President Asif Ali Zardari presented the award to Mr. Noble. As expected the recipient lauded the role of Pakistan in combating terror but what he overlooked was that Pakistan has been ignoring Interpol’s red corner notice and UN Security Council’s special notice against Dawood Ibrahim, who is wanted in India for 1993 Mumbai blasts and has been living in Pakistan since then.
On 25 March Mr. Rehman Malik, during a press conference made a claim that Taliban have started their activities in India. The minister also informed that Pakistan security agencies have arrested someone who was planning a terror attack on World Cup matches. Mr. Malik did not share any details – officially or otherwise with Mr. P Chidambaram – his Indian counter-part.
| Editor’s Pick |
The semi finals at Colombo and Mohali have been well-played and well-managed. The finalist teams have arrived in Mumbai for 2 April encounter. The Mohali match was held under unprecedented security arrangements as Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan witnessed the match. India also issued 5000 visas to Pak cricket fans to watch match at Mohali. How many of them have gone ‘missing’ in India as it has happened on earlier occasions?
The finals will be witnessed by the presidents of India and Sri Lanka. Apart from being the biggest sporting event, the Cricket World Cup has been biggest security event for South Asia. Ironically, the host nations did not synergise their threat perception, intelligence collection, and information sharing and counter-terror actions. There has been lack co-operation and mutual trust in tackling a common threat – the terrorism.
If Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka can co-host a mega sporting event, they can also fight terror together.
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