Pakistan government hands over Sri Lankan team's security to Army

The government has handed over the security of the visiting Sri Lankan team to the Pakistan Military forces after they agreed to continue the tour on the intervention of Army chief Asim Munir after a serial bomb blasts rocked Islamabad.

The chairman of PCB and Federal Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi said that since state level security is now being provided to the visiting team their security is now being looked after by the army and rangers in conjunction with the police.

Mr. Naqvi also told the media in Rawalpindi on Thursday (November 13, 2025) night when he met with the Pakistani and Sri Lankan players at the stadium that the Sri Lankan government and board had shown great support for Pakistan cricket by continuing with the tour.

He confirmed that some Sri Lankan players wanted to return home due to security concerns after the terror attack in Islamabad.

"The positive outcome was only achieved through sustained engagement between Pakistani and Sri Lankan leadership," he said.

He also confirmed that Army Chief Munir had assured Sri Lankan Defence Minister Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon of the team's safety.

"The Field Marshal himself spoke to the Sri Lankan Defence Minister and Secretary and I am grateful the players showed great bravery to decide to remain in Pakistan," he added.

Mr. Naqvi said that he himself had held a long meeting with the Sri Lankan players to assure them their safety and well being was the responsibility of the Pakistan government.

"They had many concerns, but we tried to allay all of those," Mr. Naqvi said, highlighting that Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake spoke with his country’s team to convince them.

The New Zealand team had abandoned their white ball tour of Pakistan in September 2021 after getting creditable intel about security threats to them in Rawalpindi.

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