Pakistan: Terror Hits Cricket!

Today morning a dozen of gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team ahead of a cricket match with Pakistan team in Lahore. This bloody onslaught has left seven people including five Policemen dead and six Sri Lankan players were amongst the number of injured. The terrorists were armed with latest weapons including hand grenades, rockets, rifles etc. Luckily, there were no casualties among the Sri Lankan players and they are on the way back to their country.

I was in classroom when we heard the loud bangs of those firings. We got curious and started making speculations about what really was happening and one of my friends even passed on a joke as we carried on. But I was sensing that something is really wrong and something terrible has happened. After just five minutes I received an SMS from a friend and learned about the attack.

Everyone including our instructor got scared and he was kind enough to let us go. My University is just near the place of attack, Liberty Chowk. We could already see the traffic jam and a panic situation on the road outside my university. Rumors kept on coming from allover that there was a huge casualty in this attack, few said that Sri Lankans were also amongst them.

I immediately ran to the Internet lab hoping to watch the live TV streams about what had really happened. I was shocked to see the bloody fight between terrorists and the Police as SAMAA TV were airing the footage of the attack. I got relieved to know that Sri Lankans are safe, but at the same time, I was sad to hear about the casualties of the local Policemen.

For more details about my personal accounts, please go to my blog.

AlJazeeraEnglish uploaded the following video at YouTube including footage of the attack:

Naeem Sidhu breaks the news with the following words:

On Tuesday morning, our revered Cricketing friends from Sri Lanka were attacked in Lahore, leaving the whole nation embarrassed, shocked and with our heads shaken in disbelief. With the approval of the Colombo Government, SL team decided to tour Pakistan despite security fears and they courageously defied the advice by other Cricketing nations. India was more vocal against the tour by SL team. Due to our security lapse, Tuesday shooting has helped in vindication of their stance and has resulted in  closing doors of International Cricket in Pakistan for many years to come – the worst set back to game in its history.

Yasir Imran tries to wake up the current government with these words:

یہ ایک انتہائی افسوس ناک واقع ہے، جو یقیننا پاکستانی کرکٹ کے لیے بہت خطرناک ثابت ہوسکتا ہے ، مگر حکومت وقت کی کچھ توجہ اس خطرے کو کم کر سکتی ہے، پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کو اپنے مفادات سے کچھ ہٹ کر اس قوم کے لیے بھی کچھ وقت نکالنا چاہیے کیونکہ بھٹو کے بعد سےپیپلز پارٹی کا کوئی بھی دور حکومت پاکستان کے لیے اچھا ثابت نہں ہوا، پیپلز پارٹی کے تمام ادوار میں مہنگائی میں اضافہ ہوا کرپشن بڑھی
“This is an extremely sad incident, that can certainly be proved as quite bad for Pakistani cricket. But the current government's attention can lower this danger. Pakistan Peoples Party should think beyond their own benefit, to spare some time for the nation because after the rein of Bhutto's Rule, none of the Peoples Party governments have been proved good for the country. In all of their governments, inflation and corruption has increased”

Pakistani Housewife blog expresses frustration:

What has happened to the world we live in? Is there an end to this madness? The situation in the world in general and in Pakistan in particular is getting worse everyday. These are the streets we walk in, the roads we drive on with our kids but nothing seems to be the same. I think these terror attacks kill a few people but terrorize the minds of hundreds and thousands of us. They make us numb, takes away the desire to live and the hope for a happy future is missing from our lives, in these terrible times.

Teeth Maestro says:

It is now certain that this tragic event marks the end of Cricket in Pakistan for sometime, the blame game with India is already nearing a frenzy, analysts like Kamran Khan on Geo and Hamid Gul have pointed fingers towards India already. One must note that the attack looks erringly too similar to the Mumbai attack but logically one must understand that this could very well be a cover up to instigate a war of words between India and Pakistan. Our politicians, intelligence agencies and media were blood thirsty looking for an excuse to kick back at India for the Mumbai assault and todays events in Lahore might serve them with an opportunity.

Kamran Abbasi at cricinfo summarizes:

The least of the consequences of this disaster is that those who have advocated the continuation of international cricket in Pakistan – including me – have been proved wrong. No international team will now visit Pakistan, and the Pakistan Cricket Board should voluntarily arrange all future tours at neutral venues for the next year, may be longer. This the darkest day in the history of Pakistan cricket and it occurred in a pleasant suburb of Lahore, a once great city of gardens and tranquility,

15 comments

  • From a Sri Lankan

    From a Sri Lankan:

    Dear All in Pakistan,

    Please do not feel sorry for something that you had no possibility of controlling. We, as Sri Lankans, know only too well how you feel. Our tolerance and good-heartedness have been taken advantage of many, many times before, by opportunists…. and we remember the pain we have undergone due to the actions of megalomanic terrorists of the ltte. For us, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are pretty much the same.

    Whatever may have happened, we Sri Lankans will never forget how Pakistan rose to help us over and over again, during times of need. Our country (and yours) are unfairly hounded by opportunists and terrorist-paid members of the media. We are trying to rise against a lot of odds, and even during times when our neighbour India could not do anything (due to some of their opportunistic politicians trying to make advantage of the situation), Pakistan has ALWAYS helped us. We Sri Lankans don’t forget such things.

    So, our Pakistani brothers and sisters, please realize that we Sri Lankans know and understand how you feel… and don’t take this too hard. Be strong: Our Leader Mahinda Rajapakse has shown the whole world what strong and resilient people Sri Lankans are… and we are on the very verge of eliminating the ltte terrorism form our land forever! Pakistanis are a classy bunch of people, and Sri Lanka will ALWAYS be with you.

    With Best Regards,
    Sri Lankans

  • What goes around comes around

    Pakistan sponsored terrorism as a state policy. Pakistan
    is responsible for killing thousands of innocents all over the world mostly in India.

    Now, who is suffering now?

    Your country deserves it! Learning a hard lesson!

    Stop sponsoring terrorism!! Arrests and hang all the terrorists in your country (which would be the almost the whole country ?)

  • Babur

    As a resident of Lahore, I am saddened and sorry about the events of3/3. The attack on the brave Sri Lankan Team was dispicable. After 3 days though, I feel shame. The shame comes from the lack of security detail which should have been provided and the irresponsible statements by the authorities and even some umpires. The authorities have been utterly ignorant in their acceptance of what the gaps were. This is shameful, in that, not are they not willing to acknowledge the truth, but this denial will not allow for the gaps to be filled. So much for a better outcome tommorrow! Secondly Chris Broad who was a hero for protecting Ahsan Raza, made a statement that every crossing was manned by armed police in blue uniforms who did nothing to react to the gunmen. Correction, all blue uniformed police in Lahore is UNARMED tarrfic constables. One of of these lead patrol unarmed constable died. A small truth (fact) which can get in the way to another wise quite complelling story.

  • Danial

    I wonder how long it has been that India and Pakistan were ONE country. You guys just need a small chance to blame one and other. GET A LIFE PEOPLE!! The problem here is tht the freaking hairy taliban freaks attacked innocent sporting people. WHY?! A city of over 8 million people didn’t do nothing to 12 F*** freaks who ruined cricket for Pakistans 170 million people for the coming years. Blame the government and the army who EATS majorty of your money, while that could be spend on educated people to avoid these UNEDUCATED people to grab arms and do such stuff. Today I promise some uneducated people who doesnt know anything that I will pay ur family money if you blow yourself up. That uneducated person would IF he is extremely stupid accept this offer. But if the government educates these people they would know tht if today I am jobless 2moro Imight find a job. But I have to work for tht and that is just when I go to school and get some education. NOT FROM THOSE BLOODY MADRASSAS, those freaks wont teach u nothing and majority of the people who thnk they can lecture they r just freaking terrorist. Educate yourself and one day the financial crises will go and you will find urself a job. Dont help people who promise u money or food by killing innocent. Hope the people I am talking to thro this msg UNDERSTAND and use their brains!!!!!!!!!

  • […] were right as the Taliban offensives escalated in extreme nature. After the attack on Sri Lanka Cricket team, Lahore came into limelight again when a Police training camp in the suburbs of Lahore was attacked […]

Join the conversation

Authors, please log in »

Guidelines

  • All comments are reviewed by a moderator. Do not submit your comment more than once or it may be identified as spam.
  • Please treat others with respect. Comments containing hate speech, obscenity, and personal attacks will not be approved.