Ahead of his visit to Islamabad on Tuesday, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh has been briefed on the imbroglio over Ahmedabad as the venue for an India-Pakistan cricket Test.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has refused to play at Ahmedabad, the epicentre of the 2002 Gujarat communal riots, citing security concerns.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wants Natwar Singh to ask his counterpart, Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, to prevail upon the PCB to change its stand.
A source in the external affairs ministry said BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla met Natwar Singh at his residence on Sunday and had a detailed talk with him on the issue.
"Shukla met Natwar Singh on Sunday and they discussed the Pakistani cricket team's tour of India, specifically Ahmedabad as a Test venue," the source told IANS.
Natwar Singh will also meet Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and the Ahmedabad issue is likely to figure during their talks.
The BCCI was set to announce the complete itinerary of the tour on Thursday in New Delhi.
{{/usCountry}}The BCCI was set to announce the complete itinerary of the tour on Thursday in New Delhi.
{{/usCountry}}Now, it will have to wait for word from the external affairs ministry, besides the home ministry. This is because security will be a key aspect of the tour — especially after attempts by Shiv Sena cadres to damage pitches at the Mohali and Kanpur stadiums.
The Pakistani team, which is slated to arrive February 25, will play three Tests and five One-Day Internationals on its first full tour of India in six years.