Bilateral cricket: India may issue 5,000 visas to Pakistani fans
Fans may also get multi-city visa for visiting all five venues where matches are to be played.
NEW DELHI:
Cricket fans who wish to see the Pakistan-India series to be played in the neighbouring country may get to do so after India said it may issue around 4,000 to 5,000 visas to Pakistani fans, Times of India reported Friday.
After getting approval from the Indian home ministry, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule of the much-anticipated, but brief, limited-overs series against Pakistan.
Better still, the fans may also get a multi-city visa – a move that will enable them to visit all five venues where the matches will be played.
The Indian government has set up a high-level special committee for the whole visa process which will frame guidelines and work out modalities for granting visas.
Meanwhile, owing to reservations from different political parties, the BCCI is planning strict security arrangements to ensure safety for teams and spectators.
The committee panel, comprising officials from India’s home ministry and security agencies, will reportedly have its first meeting on Monday and the final decision will be taken by November 10.
"The effort will be to have a strict monitoring system in place before granting them visas so that the visitors can be tracked once the cricket series is over," an official said.
"We don't want to take any chance and therefore the ministry has already sensitized all states where matches are to be played between December 25 and January 6," the official said.
According to the schedule, the Pakistan team will reach Bangalore on December 22 ahead of a 16-day tour that includes two Twenty20s and three ODIs.
Bangalore will play host to the opening Twenty20 on December 25 before the archrivals move to Ahmedabad for the second game on December 27.
Cricket fans who wish to see the Pakistan-India series to be played in the neighbouring country may get to do so after India said it may issue around 4,000 to 5,000 visas to Pakistani fans, Times of India reported Friday.
After getting approval from the Indian home ministry, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule of the much-anticipated, but brief, limited-overs series against Pakistan.
Better still, the fans may also get a multi-city visa – a move that will enable them to visit all five venues where the matches will be played.
The Indian government has set up a high-level special committee for the whole visa process which will frame guidelines and work out modalities for granting visas.
Meanwhile, owing to reservations from different political parties, the BCCI is planning strict security arrangements to ensure safety for teams and spectators.
The committee panel, comprising officials from India’s home ministry and security agencies, will reportedly have its first meeting on Monday and the final decision will be taken by November 10.
"The effort will be to have a strict monitoring system in place before granting them visas so that the visitors can be tracked once the cricket series is over," an official said.
"We don't want to take any chance and therefore the ministry has already sensitized all states where matches are to be played between December 25 and January 6," the official said.
According to the schedule, the Pakistan team will reach Bangalore on December 22 ahead of a 16-day tour that includes two Twenty20s and three ODIs.
Bangalore will play host to the opening Twenty20 on December 25 before the archrivals move to Ahmedabad for the second game on December 27.