President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday joined thousands of fans at the National Stadium in Karachi and many millions in other parts of the country and cricket-loving nations as Pakistan hosted its first International Cricket Council event in almost three decades in a move hailed as a landmark just a few years after the country was off-limits because of security fears.
But a poor performance from the home team left a packed 29,300 crowd disappointed.
First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari also accompanied the president. He was received by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on arrival at the National Stadium.
The president and the First Lady, accompanied by former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, carried the Champions Trophy onto the field.
The president met with the captains of the Pakistan and New Zealand cricket teams. Later, the President and the First Lady also watched the match between the two teams.
Staging the Champions Trophy in three cities over the next two-and-a-half weeks will be a huge boost to the country's reputation if authorities can pull it off smoothly and safely.
Because of security concerns Pakistan have not held a major international tournament since they were World Cup co-hosts with India and Sri Lanka in 1996.
The eight-nation event got underway, however, with Pakistan's Air Force flying over the stadium to mark the occasion.
The build-up has not been without problems after neighbours and arch-rivals India refused to play in Pakistan over long-standing political tensions.
A powerhouse of the sport on and off the pitch, India will instead play their matches in Dubai, but the other seven countries will be based in Pakistan.
The country has stepped up security, especially in host cities Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, even if attacks in major cities are increasingly rare.
Pakistan had been due to host the Champions Trophy, the premier ODI event after the World Cup, in 2008.
It was instead staged in South Africa a year later because of a security crisis that spilled over from the war in neighbouring Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks.
Pakistan became a no-go zone for international sides in 2009 after Islamist gunmen attacked a bus carrying Sri Lanka's team in Lahore, wounding several players and killing eight policemen and civilians.
But since a sweeping military crackdown that started in 2014 and lasted several years, security has vastly improved.
Test cricket returned to Pakistan in 2019 and Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa later toured the country, helping Pakistan's bid to host the tournament.
Those teams will all be in Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
Although terrorism is still a threat in Pakistan, the violence is nearly entirely limited to the remote border regions from north to south, far away from the stadiums.
With the capital Islamabad placed in lockdown, Pakistan recently hosted a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and a global meeting on girls' education, raising its profile on the international stage.
As a test case for its readiness, Pakistan last week staged a tri-series with New Zealand and South Africa and crowds flocked to the recently renovated stadiums in Lahore and Karachi.
Raja, a former Pakistan captain who played in the 1987 World Cup hosted by Pakistan and India, said holding the Champions Trophy has enormous significance that goes beyond sport.
"This Champions Trophy is a crucial step toward normalising its standing in the global cricket community," he said.
"It's also about national pride and sending a strong message about resilience and determination.
"It is about youth engagement, cultural promotion and building a global image.
"Now the onus is on us to deliver."
Pakistan, a cricket-mad nation where the sport is played on almost every street corner, are the defending champions.
"Pakistan are unpredictable, they can surprise anytime," said 24-year-old Kashif Khan, queueing in the morning with his Rs5,000 ticket.
Long lines snaked outside the stadium from four hours before the match, with a smattering of New Zealand fans outnumbered by hordes of chanting and flag-waving Pakistanis.
Among Karachi's population of more than 20 million, fans were adamant India would have been welcomed.
"If India were here I would arrange a trail of rose petals leading them to the stadium," Khan said. "We love the Indian team in the same way that we love the Pakistani teambecause it's all about cricket."
Pakistan last held a major international tournament as World Cup co-hosts with India and Sri Lanka in 1996.
Sofia Babar, 45, was in the stands in Karachi during that tournament. Queueing on Wednesday, she said: "I want my daughter to experience what I did all those years ago."
With additional input from Agencies
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