Pakistan’s security arrangements for the ICC Champions Trophy have come under the scanner once again after two separate blasts took place in the country on Friday. The country is hosting a global event for the first time in nearly three decades and had assured the ICC as well as participating teams – except India – of providing adequate security cover for the Champions Trophy to go ahead without a hitch.
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Friday’s twin blasts, however, have put the Mohsin Naqvi-led Pakistan Cricket Board as well as the Shehbaz Sharif-led government in a difficult spot once again and might create a sense of unease among the visiting teams, especially teams such as New Zealand that have qualified for the semi-finals that will be taking place next week.
At least three persons were killed while 20 were left injured in an attack that took place at a mosque in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province . Among those killed in the explosion at the Darul Uloom Haqqania in Nowshera district was a cleric believed to be closed to the Taliban.
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Another blast had taken place in Quetta, Balochistan in the western part of the country that left at least 10 injured, according to Pakistani newspaper The Express Tribune.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsHere’s how social media reacted to Friday’s terror attacks that have heightened security concerns in Pakistan amid a major cricketing event:
The PCB and the ICC are yet to officially react to the incidents, and none of the participating teams have officially expressed any concern over the matter.
The Champions Trophy matches are taking place in the cities of Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi, with two-time winners India playing all of their games in Dubai after refusing to visit Pakistan due to security concerns.