No safety guaranteed! TTP faction issues direct warning to foreign players before PSL kickoff

In its chilling warning,  Jamaat-ul-Ahrar warned that players' safety could not be guaranteed if they travel to Pakistan to play the annual league.

The group directed foreign players to withdraw immediately from the tournament.

A senior commander of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar has directly confirmed to The Sunday Guardian on Monday morning that the group issued a warning to foreign players ahead of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), and indicated that it would attempt to disrupt the tournament if participation goes ahead.

“We want to advise the relevant cricket boards not to send their players to Pakistan. If something happens to them, it will not be our responsibility. We have already warned,” he said.

In a stern message, he said: “We will do whatever is in our capacity, but we will not let the match happen."

The foreign players who are supposed to participate in the league this year include some cricket stars like  David Warner, Steve Smith, Moeen Ali, Devon Conway and Adam Zampa.

PCB confirms PSL will have no spectators

Earlier, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday announced that the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be held without spectators as part of the government’s austerity measures.

The tournament is scheduled to begin on March 26 and will feature eight teams competing across 44 matches.

Speaking at a press conference, as quoted by Dawn News, Naqvi said the tournament would proceed as planned, despite the difficult decision to bar fans from stadiums.

“On one hand, 25,000 to 30,000 people would gather at stadiums, while on the other, we are asking people to limit their movement,” he said. “Until this crisis ends, we will not allow crowds in the stadiums.”

Naqvi acknowledged that the decision was not easy but necessary under the current circumstances.

Venues reduced

The PSL was initially set to be held across multiple cities, including Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Multan, Peshawar and Faisalabad.

However, the matches will now be restricted to Karachi and Lahore.

What is Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA)?

  As per the UN Security Council website, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) is a splinter terrorist group of Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) based in Lalpura, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.

JuA was formed in August 2014 after a merger of TTP’s faction in Mohmand Agency and Ahrar-ul-Hind.
 
Most of JuA commanders and operatives hail from Mohmand Agency of the Federally Administrated Tribal Area, Pakistan.

Dispersed after Pakistan’s military operation Zarb-e- Azb. Remnants continue to launch terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.

JuA is involved in deadly terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, including:

 On 2 November 2014, suicide bombing attack at Wahga, Pakistan’s Customs Post with India, killing 60 and injuring 100;

On 7 November 2014, twin bombing in Mohmand Agency, killing 6; 

On 15 March 2015, attack on Youhanabad Church in Lahore, killing 15;

On 27 March 2015, Easter Sunday attack on a children’s park in Lahore, killing 72 and injuring 320;

On 1 March 2016, attack with improvised explosives devices (IED) on a vehicle carrying a United States Drug

Enforcement Administration team in Sangar, Mohmand Agency, killing 2 employees of the United States Consulate in Peshawar;

On 15 March 2016, bombing attack on Shabqadar (Charsadda) District Court, killing 14 and injuring 52;

On 2 September 2016, bombing attack in Warsak Colony, Peshawar, killing 5;

On 13 February 2017, attack in Lahore, killing 13 and injuring more than 50. 

JuA has claimed responsibility for many terrorist attacks, including the attack in Lahore on 13 February 2017.