WATCH: DG ISPR plays street cricket with Karachi youth

Former cricketer Shahid Afridi tweeted video of the Army spokesperson playing cricket

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQZn-LRRhNo

An amateur video featuring the chief military spokesperson playing cricket with the youth on a street of Karachi on Friday night has gone viral on social media.

Cricketers, showbiz celebs and politicians took to Twitter to share the clip and hail the “restoration of peace” and normalcy in the metropolis after tumultuous years.

In the video shot with a cellphone camera, Major General Asif Ghafoor, Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), can be seen playing some smooth strokes coupled with good footwork on a street near Cantt Station.

One of the shots played by Gen Ghafoor caught the fielder – at silly point – by surprise. At the end of the clip, Maj Gen Ghafoor mingles with the young street cricketers who take selfies with him.

The video was uploaded in a tweet by former Pakistani skipper Shahid Afridi on Saturday.

“City of Lights back in colours. Karachi boys enjoying late night road cricket with @OfficalDGISPR Missed the opportunity being at Turkey. Thank you our brave security forces,” he wrote on the social networking site.

City of Lights back in colours. Karachi boys enjoying late night road cricket with @OfficalDGISPR Missed the opportunity being at Turkey.
Thank you our brave security forces. pic.twitter.com/pnAzztB6ZT

— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) December 22, 2018

The chief army spokesperson thanked the veteran cricketer. “Thank you Lala. Yes missed you. If you were there no one would have given me the bat! Great to see the vibrant youth of Karachi. Thanks to sacrifices of Sindh Rangers, Police, LEAs and the resilient Pakistanis,” he wrote on his personal Twitter handle.

Thank you Lala. Yes missed you. If you were there no one would have given me the bat!
Great to see the vibrant youth of Karachi. Thanks to sacrifices of Sindh Rangers, Police, LEAs and the resilient Pakistanis. https://t.co/etAlspewIR

— Asif Ghafoor (@peaceforchange) December 22, 2018

Politicians and showbiz stars also shared the clip on Twitter and thanked the security forces for the restoration of peace and normalcy in the city

Gen Asif @OfficialDGISPR playing cricket on a street in karachi last night. All karachiites must thank the security forces for bringing the city of lights back from darkness. pic.twitter.com/9u3DV2M9Tg

— Shehzad Roy (@ShehzadRoy) December 22, 2018

What a pleasant sight, life of Karachi restored Alhamdollilah. This is the video of Maj Gen Asif Ghaffor @OfficialDGISPR playing cricket on the streets of Karachi. Thanks to Pak Army, Rangers and LEA’s for bringing peace back to the beautiful city of Quaid. pic.twitter.com/9RQxoDeTFC

— Imran Ismail (@ImranIsmailPTI) December 22, 2018

In November, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said Karachi is the “engine of Pakistan’s economy” and deserves a better security environment to maintain an upward business trajectory.

During a visit to the Sindh Rangers Headquarters, the army chief appreciated the efforts of the Rangers and all law-enforcement agencies for the improved security situation in the metropolitan city.

The Karachi operation, launched by the paramilitary Rangers in 2013, has restored peace in the city.

Since the beginning of the operation, a total of 14,964 operations have been conducted which have put an end to terrorism in the city and significantly reduced criminal activities, according to a Rangers official. He added that incidents of targeted killings have decreased by 97%, while incidents of extortion by 96% and kidnapping by 92%.

In 2014, Karachi was listed sixth on the International Crime Index, but in 2018, the port city moved to the 68th position, which is an indicator of the peaceful situation, said one official, adding that the blood and sacrifices of the martyrs would not be allowed to go in vain.