ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday asserted that the New Zealand tour, the country’s first in 18 years, was cancelled under an international ‘conspiracy’.
Addressing a press conference hours after visitors called off its tour to Pakistan, the interior minister said that he will not name the conspirators. However, he termed the cancellation “an attempt to damage our efforts for peace in the region”.
The Interior Minister added that some forces wanted to make Pakistan a scapegoat after what had been happening in Afghanistan. He said that the New Zealand security in-charge contacted the government to say that they had a security threat regarding the tour.
“When the officials asked for further details, the New Zealand authorities do not have substantive proof of a threat,” he said, adding, “We even requested them to continue the tour without spectators but they refused.”
The minister said that the government’s team also reached out to Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently in Dushanbe to participate in the 20th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of State (SCO-CHS) Summit.
“He called New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and assured her of providing complete security to the Kiwis. The New Zealand prime minister said there was no issue of a threat,” Rashid added.
However, Ardern said the New Zealand government had “received intelligence that the team could be attacked when it steps out to go to the stadium”, Ahmed said. “They took a unilateral decision to cancel their tour,” he said, adding that no security institution of Pakistan had received such threats.
The interior minister said the unilateral decision comes as Pakistan is playing a crucial role in establishing peace in the world. “The country has strong institutions which have fought terrorism,” he added.
Rashid noted that Indian media was defaming Pakistan, adding that its designs would be foiled. Talking about the upcoming tour by the England team, Ahmed said they would make their own decision. “My ministry has all done all arrangments,” he added.
Afghanistan border ‘peaceful’
Talking about Afghanistan, Sheikh Rashid said Pakistan’s borders — at Chaman and Torkham — with Kabul were peaceful and security forces were making sure the situation remains the same.
“We have evacuated US, Turkish, Greek, German, and Japanese citizens from there,” the interior minister said, talking about Pakistan’s efforts in the evolving Afghan situation.
The interior minister said Pakistani students — men and women — were going back to Afghanistan to continue their studies. He also noted that if someone wants Afghanistan to turn into a Scandinavian country, then they are at fault, as Kabul progress at its own pace.
