27-Apr-2012
The News
Friday, April 27, 2012
KARACHI: Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has assured the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) that the foreign clubs who feature in the AFC President’s Cup in Lahore next month will be provided foolproof security.
“We have assured the AFC that the foreign clubs will be provided foolproof security and the security condition here is not so bad that competitions cannot be held,” PFF secretary Col Ahmad Yar Khan Lodhi told ‘The News’ on Thursday.
Taiwan Power Company of Chinese Taipei, one of the two foreign clubs to arrive here, has approached the AFC following a bomb blast in Lahore the other day and has shown security concerns.
Bangladesh’s Sheikh Jamal Dhanmundi Club two weeks ago had refused to feature in the event due to security fears. This was followed by the postponement of their cricket team’s tour of Pakistan following a court order. “We have made all the arrangements for board and lodging of the clubs and the distance between the venue and the hotel where the foreign teams will be boarded is hardly three kilometers. Punjab government has assured us that water-tight security would be provided to the foreign footballers,” added the official.
Mongolian club Erchim FC has not shown any fears. To a query, Lodhi said that he is confident that Taiwan Power Company would come to Pakistan for the event. “We have already held here the AFC President’s Cup in 2007, besides holding the World Cup Qualifiers, Olympic Qualifiers and Test Series against Palestine last year and the AFC Under-14 Festival of Football this month. Showing security concern is the right of the foreign teams but we assure them that they will not face any problem,” Lodhi said.
Pakistan’s champions Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) is the third team which will take part in the Group A competitions to be held from May 8-12 at the Punjab Stadium.
“The Mogolian Club has got visas while Taiwan Power Company has also applied for them and hopefully the things will go smoothly,” Lodhi said.
Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/ |
