PSL in Lahore - a risky affair

That the decision to hold the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final in Lahore in the wake of a wave of terrorist attacks all across the country - including a suicide bombing in front of the Punjab Assembly that claimed 14 lives and another unexplained blast in an upscale Lahore market which caused eight deaths- is full of risk has never been in doubt. In fact, despite an assurance from the Army chief to provide security for the match it took several days of consultations for the Punjab government to announce the final would be held in Lahore.
The ostensible reason for staging the event in Pakistan is to bring back international cricket on home soil. No outside team, barring the 2015 visit by Zimbabwe, has played in Pakistan since 2009 when eight policemen were killed and two players and an umpire were injured in a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore. Ever since Pakistan has been hosting its international series outside the country. The entire first edition of the PSL was held in the UAE; it wouldn't have hurt to do the same this time. Shifting the PSL final venue to Lahore is not going to inspire confidence among international players until the ongoing security operations achieve the desired result. Actually, several important players have either said they won't participate in the final or remain non-committal because of security concerns. The UK-based company, Sunset and Vine, broadcasting PLS matches from the UAE has also declined to come to Pakistan. And the Federation of International Cricket Association continues to advise cricketers against playing in Pakistan.
Those in authority seem to want to prove that things are under control, and there is no need to worry. The extraordinary security preparations underway are important indeed but unhelpful in ridding worries. Even so, if the event passes off peacefully, a one-off success in holding a match won't pave the way for resumption of international cricket, no matter what the PSL Chairman Najam Sethi says or does. According to him, eight security experts from the cricket boards of Australia, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka as well as the International Cricket Board have been invited to come to Lahore to monitor security arrangements. What they are to see is soldiers, paramilitaries and the police protecting the players and guarding the venue, which would only highlight the seriousness of the threat that has kept them away all these years. The impression they are likely to gather is that the country is still not ready to host their teams.
There are many others than the PSL and PCB officials who argue that it is the killjoys in this country who first stopped the celebration of Basant and now want to deprive the people the pleasure of enjoying a game of cricket. Those upset over the Basant ban, of course, belong to the privileged classes unaffected by what the killer kite strings have been doing to ordinary lives. Kite strings have been cutting the throats of only motorcycle riders who have no choice but to use this vehicle for travel, while opponents of the ban stay safe in cars. In the present case too, those responsible for giving the go-ahead to the PSL match will be safe. The Army, Rangers, and police will be there to protect the players and them, too. Surely, besides providing security to the VVIPs the security agencies are fully capable of protecting the spectators at the stadium. But once outside, they will be on their own.
Admittedly, fear is a weapon the enemy employs to achieve its purposes. And rewards come with risks, but what if at risk is human life not that of the risk-takers but of other people? That is the question at the heart of the reservations about the decision to hold the PSL final in Lahore. The people have every right to enjoy cricket or whatever catches their fancy, at the same time the government has a duty to see to it no harm comes to them. Nothing is more important than the right to life.
The security hype created around the event goes on to show the gravity of the challenge at hand, to which the enemy may want to respond. For a while, the terrorists have taken to hit soft targets. Given the extreme security and strict checking at entry points, the spectators will be safe as long as they are inside the stadium. The danger is that at the end of the game they will get out in large crowds, which is when a suicide bomber might cause carnage. As has been seen in countless incidents, there is hardly any defence against such an attacker in public gatherings. In deciding to go ahead with the match in Lahore, the organisers have taken a gamble. If nothing happens they will claim credit- although that will not help revive international cricket in this country. In case some ordinary people are killed, they will not be bothered. That would be unacceptable. The responsibility for the loss of a single life must lie squarely on the shoulders of the organisers, the PSL Chairman as well as the Punjab government. Can they guarantee no such horror will occur? If not, in case something happens they must face legal action for knowingly putting lives in harm's way. Meanwhile, one can only hope March 5 will come and go without any unpleasant incident. saida_fazal@yahoo.com