India's tour of Pakistan under security threat

New Delhi, Nov 11 (UNI) India's tour of Pakistan in January next year looks in jeopardy as the security situation in the country is far from satisfactory.

According to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) sources, the security situation in Pakistan is dangerous and is not conducive for the series.

The Indian mission in Islamabad has submitted a report on the security situation in Pakistan and the report clearly outlines the dangerous situation in the country, CNN IBN reported today.

The report is not specific to the Indian cricket tour and thus a final decision has not been taken as yet.

It was just yesterday that the Indian junior hockey team, which was to play a five-Test series against Pakistan, cancelled its tour at the eleventh hour.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) website, too, is yet to confirm the six-week long itinerary starting January 2009.

The BCCI finance committee chairman Rajiv Shukla, however, said till the time the board does not get any directions from the Ministry, the tour is on.

''We will wait for clearance from MEA. From our side the tour is still on,'' he said adding, ''the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has assured us that the security will be hightened and the players would be provided with the best arrangements.'' India is scheduled to play three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20 game.

The Test matches are at Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore while the ODIs are to be held at Faisalabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan and Karachi.

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