SA condemns Sri Lankan cricket team attack

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Pretoria - South Africa has condemned the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in eastern Pakistan in the early hours of Tuesday, which left five policemen dead and wounded four Sri Lankan cricketers.

"Cabinet condemns the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lehore, Pakistan," said Government Spokesperson Themba Maseko in Pretoria on Wednesday, following a Cabinet meeting at the Union Buildings.

"No objective, political or otherwise, could ever justify the barbaric attack on innocent sportspeople who were in Pakistan to represent their country and its people.

"This government rejects, in no uncertain terms, the targeting of sports teams as they serve the important role of being ambassadors for all sports loving citizens of the world," said Mr Maseko.

The Sri Lankan team was scheduled to begin their third-day play with the Pakistani team in their second Test Match when the attack occurred.

Gunmen fired at a police vehicle which was escorting the Sri Lankan cricket team near the Gaddafi Stadium. The attackers also opened fire at the bus carrying Sri Lankan players.

Pakistani police said on Wednesday that they had arrested three people for providing assistance in the attacks.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has met with Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, who is visiting Pakistan as special envoy of the Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the wake of the attack.

President Zardari underlined the need for both countries to jointly devise a mechanism for promotion of peace, development and progress of the region.

The incident is a serious setback that has also undermined the sports of cricket in Pakistan, adding that the attack once again underlined the fact that terrorism is not confined to any country but a global problem which needs cooperative international efforts to root it out, President Zardari said.