ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday condemned “abusive language” directed at Pakistan players by foreign spectators after the national side suffered a 3-0 loss against New Zealand in their one-day international (ODI) series.
The PCB statement followed Pakistan all-rounder Khushdil Shah’s altercation with fans following Pakistan’s loss to New Zealand at Mount Maunganui.
The board said foreign spectators hurled inappropriate remarks at cricketers present on the field.
“When anti-Pakistan slogans emerged, cricketer Khushdil Shah stepped in and urged the spectators to refrain,” the PCB said in a statement.
“In response, Afghan spectators escalated the situation by using further inappropriate language in Pashto.”
The development comes at a time of strained ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan over a surge in militants attacks in Pakistan’s western provinces that border Afghanistan. Islamabad has frequently accused Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement and insist that Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.
In the past, Pakistani and Afghan fans have also been engaged in heated exchange of words during various fixtures accusing each other of interference.
“Following the Pakistani team’s complaint, stadium officials intervened and ejected the two disruptive spectators,” the PCB added.
PCB condemns ‘abusive language’ directed at Pakistan players after New Zealand loss
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PCB condemns ‘abusive language’ directed at Pakistan players after New Zealand loss
- The statement follows Khushdil Shah’s altercation with Afghan fans at Mount Maunganui
- Khushdil Shah stepped in when anti-Pakistan slogans emerged, the cricket board says
Death toll in Pakistan wedding suicide blast rises to six
- Attack targeted members of local peace committee in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan
- Peace committees are community-based groups that report militant activity to security forces
PESHAWAR: The death toll from a suicide bombing at a wedding ceremony in northwestern Pakistan rose to six, police said on Saturday, after funeral prayers were held for those killed in the attack a day earlier.
The bomber detonated explosives during a wedding gathering in the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, injuring more than a dozen, some of them critically.
“The death toll has surged to six,” said Nawab Khan, Superintendent of Police for Saddar Dera Ismail Khan. “Police have completed the formalities and registered the case against unidentified attackers.”
“It was a suicide attack and the Counter Terrorism Department will further investigate the case,” he continued, adding that security had been stepped up across the district to prevent further incidents.
No militant group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.
Khan cautioned against speculation, citing ongoing militancy in the area, and said the investigation was being treated with “utmost seriousness.”
The explosion targeted the home of a member of a local peace committee, which is part of community-based groups that cooperate with security forces and whose members have frequently been targeted by militants in the past.
Some media reports also cited a death toll of seven, quoting police authorities.
Emergency officials said several of the wounded were taken to hospital soon after the blast.
Militant attacks have intensified in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since the Taliban returned to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021, with Islamabad accusing Afghan authorities of “facilitating” cross-border assaults, a charge Kabul denies.
