The recent security issues in Pakistan. Are things actually any worse than they ever have been?

Question

Pakistan, the state born out of bloodshed, has had a turbulent history during its short life. Clashes with the parent country, India. Military coups. Ministerial assassinations. Training ground of Islamic extremists.

Have things actually got worse there? Or is the world just more "security conscious"? And does the new money in the game give players the freedom to choose?

I have just read an extremely interesting article by that most wonderful of Australian writers, Gideon Haigh:

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/366186.html

I'll allow you the pleasure of reading it for yourself, as Haigh is a far superior wordsmith to myself.

I think he makes some valid points, which obviously has led to me asking this question. Over the past 10 or so years, security has become big business, and it seems we are forced to be more aware of it. No Australians were killed in the conflicts and uncertaintly following Zia-ul-Haq's assassination; and England have toured following military coups.

Is the security threat worse now in Pakistan than it ever has been?

Answer 1

I think Pakistan is the safe place for sports. There have never been any mishap happened in sports in Pakistan, its only a political manner.

Answer 2

i havnt read it yet .,but i think it has since the invasion of Afghanistan

1  al-Qaeda have found a secure hideout in Pakistan and taliban have moved in from Afghanistan

2 Australia and England have troops fighting in Afghanistan which makes these high profile cricketers targets ,this wasn't the case thirty years ago

3 suicide bombers are now the norm ,and security cant stop this kind of terrorism

.

the great gambler....makes a great point about if IPL was developed in Pakistan...yes  they would go ,but that would be an individual  choice ... ... but each country's  cricketing board has to make an assessment for the whole entourage including camera crews ,wifes  children, trainers .....fans

.

Answer 3

Its not as worst as its shows on Media and perceive by other peoples

Answer 4

Newfy_Newfy has put it more eloquently then I ever could. I still hark back to the Bhutto assasination, they couldn't protect her,one person, how then could they protect hundreds of cricketers in different parts of the country at once. It doesn't matter what they or anyone else says, 'we knows what we knows'!

Answer 5

http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/ind...

Answer 6

You are definately right, security is Prime issue in Pakistan right now!

You can tell by the reaction of players from other countries about playing in pakistan!

In a whole the pakistan cricket fans are hurting the most because it's not the general public that wants violence and extremist people there anyway!

Till Pakistan get their security issue fixed, it will be hard to convince other contries come there and play!  They have done a great job there in the past but people see on tv something everyday from pakistan that get cricket teams cautious!

Answer 7

[why tour Pakistan, where every bus backfire sounds ominous, when you can drop in on India, where too there are bombs but you can pull down seven figures in six weeks?]

I've been arguing this quote for a long while. Finally its been said. If Pakistan was offering big money i strongly think that this wouldn't have become as big of a deal as it is right now. Yes there are serious safety concerns in Pakistan but is there a blanket over the issue of teams boycotting the tournament? It's a question not a statement. I think that there are more underlying issues than safety concerns.

["Security concerns", then, have become an issue by which players' associations can demonstrate their continued relevance, by which it can be proved to cricketers that their dues still buy something.]

Another excellent quote. The vote to move the tournament out of Pakistan was a vote of power. The Asian bloc stood behind the BCCI, while the western countries stood together, even in the media you hear of boards standing behind each other in the vote, i believe the vote was over safety but it was overshadowed by power.

[And while security has been demonstrated to be a concern of cricketers, it is, even more so, a preoccupation of capital.]

Security isn't the issue here. Bombs go off in Sri Lanka and India, yes Pakistan is a little more serious. But the way teams and players are reacting its not only about safety, everyones fighting for their own cause (boards, players etc) and it's percieved that their ONLY fighting for their safety but there's an underlying truth to this.

Answer 8

perfectly presented article and meticulously asked Q.

Pakistan's political set up has never been stable in history and has seen military coups, assassination of leaders , Kashnikov riffles have been a common thing in pakistan, but the history shows that pakistan has been a safe place for sports,no sportsmen have been targetted in the political & islamic groups war process till date.

India and sri lanka are equally vulnerable to bombs as pakistan and it finally boils down to personal interest of people hiding behind the excuse of unstability in the state, i bet if pakistan board would have offered  a series like IPL , all the players would have travelled to pakistan to earn dollars in the shadows of kashnikov riffles .

anyways, it is a never ending topic of debate however the answer to your Q is "NO". its the same as ever!