Khan: Playing the game

New Delhi, March 1: Cricket aficionados can now rejoice. For all those who want to hop across to Pakistan to watch Sourav and his band of brothers take on Inzy’s army, the good news is that visa clearance will not be a problem.

Pakistan high commissioner Aziz Ahmed Khan told reporters here today that all ticket holders would get visas.

The India-Pakistan cricket series is scheduled to begin on March 11.

Speaking on the sidelines of an India-Pakistan business and economic cooperation meet organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Khan said: “All ticket holders will be issued visas.”

According to Pakistani officials, over 8,000 people are expected to apply for visas.

Just a fortnight ago, there was a cloud of uncertainty over visa clearances when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had said that obtaining a ticket for a match would not necessarily guarantee the issuance of a visa.

Khan’s statement today clears the air for thousands who are anxious to witness the biggest sporting event of the year in the subcontinent.

The Pakistan high commissioner is believed to have taken the decision in consultation with the PCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The tickets for the matches are expected to be priced between Rs 680 and Rs 1,700.

While the Indian cricket team will travel to Pakistan after a gap of 14 years, Mian Anjum Nisar, president of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), said: “More importantly, there will be people-to-people contact and exchange of culture. This is a sign of good friendship.”

A few weeks ago, rumours had swirled that the cricket series would be postponed because the BJP government wanted to avoid communal tension just when election fever was mounting in the country.

It was felt that an Indian defeat could seriously undermine the “feel-good factor” created as much by the booming economy as by the heroics of the Indian cricket team Down Under.

Khan assured that the Pakistan embassy would grant “prompt visas” to all Indian businessmen interested in trading with Pakistan.

“Multiple entry visas are also being given. But sometimes it takes us a while to distinguish whether it is purely a business visa or business-related tourism visa,” he said.

Speaking on the much-debated issue of granting India the status of most favoured nation, Nisar said: “We are supporters of the South Asian Free Trade Agreement. But unless India does away with its agricultural and industrial subsidies, it is very difficult for us to grant an MFN status.”

The CII and the LCCI today renewed their memorandum of understanding. The two agreed to exchange information about products and industrial processes and professional experience relating to services rendered to their members.

To enhance the prevailing environment in the two countries and to facilitate trade, the CII has also decided to open a representative office in Pakistan that would benefit businesses from both countries, Hari Bhartia, chairman of CII’s technology and innovation committee, said.