Islamabad blast: Asim Munir’s direct intervention persuades Sri Lankan cricketers to stay on Pakistan tour

Munir’s decisive security intervention

Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir, has personally intervened to assure Sri Lanka’s government of “foolproof” security for its cricket team after a deadly suicide blast in Islamabad prompted several players to seek an early return home.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told parliament on Thursday that Munir had given “direct instructions” to deploy army and paramilitary forces for the team’s protection. The Pakistan Army Chief spoke with Sri Lankan Defence Minister Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon, guaranteeing that visiting players would remain safe amid heightened security concerns.

“Our army and paramilitary are deployed for the Sri Lankan team’s security,” Naqvi said during a televised session. “The Sri Lankan president personally spoke to the (cricket) team yesterday and encouraged them to play,” he added, according to a Reuters report.

The assurances followed a suicide bombing outside an Islamabad court on Tuesday that killed 12 people and injured 27 — one of the capital’s deadliest attacks in years. The blast was followed by an assault on Cadet College Wana, a military-linked school in northwestern Pakistan, where three people were killed before security forces intervened.

Naqvi said that several Sri Lankan players had initially refused to continue the tour, fearing a repeat of the 2009 Lahore attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team that halted international cricket in Pakistan for nearly a decade. “The players’ concerns were serious but have been addressed,” Naqvi told reporters.

The cricket stadium and hotel where the Sri Lankan team is staying are less than 10 kilometres from the bombing site. The Sri Lanka Cricket Board said on Wednesday that the players were told to stay after Pakistan’s authorities provided comprehensive security guarantees. Players who still chose to return early would face a formal review of their actions, the board added.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the recent wave of militant attacks had put the country in a “state of war”. Islamabad has blamed Afghan-based groups, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), for the upsurge in violence, and has also accused India of covert support — charges both Kabul and New Delhi deny.

The suicide blast and subsequent assault have further strained Pakistan’s ties with Afghanistan, already tense following cross-border clashes last month that killed more than 70 people, including Afghan civilians, according to the United Nations.

According to officials, Munir’s direct involvement reflects the military’s control over national security matters under the new 27th Amendment, which elevated him to Chief of Defence Forces. His intervention, analysts say, underscores how deeply the army remains entwined in civilian affairs — from counterterrorism operations to foreign diplomacy and even sports.

Sri Lanka are currently playing a three-match one-day series in Rawalpindi, followed by a Twenty20 tri-series involving Zimbabwe. Despite the heightened tensions, the series is continuing under unprecedented security measures ordered directly by Munir.