Salute to PCB and its management with gratitude of the whole nation of Pakistan especially to Mr. Shehryar Khan and Mr. Najam Sethi, for their tireless work in the revival of international cricket in Pakistan now for a second time. Such efforts and exertions will definitely bear the fruits and soon Pakistan will be a venue of all international cricket events, hopefully and tragically only the people of Lahore will be having the honor and privilege to enjoy the most cherished game of theirs, as Tahkt e Lahore is the only “safe city” in Pakistan. 

It is the same city where in the broad day light the cricket team of Sri Lanka was attacked by the terrorists at the most populated Liberty Roundabout of the city .The decision of holding all the international events in Lahore will definitely ring the alarming bells and the smaller provinces will be justified in concluding that the priorities of the government of the day lie only in Punjab and, Lahore in particular. Surprisingly for the last two years the management of Lahore Literary Festival are forced to cut down the event from three days to two and one day on the pretext of “Security Threads” where KLF every year takes place as per schedule . Earlier motorway M2 was built by PMLN government from Lahore to Islamabad whereas known to everyone that all our imports and exports are to and from Karachi, a vast area of the most fertile land of Punjab famous for the cultivation of citreous fruits was sacrificed just for a six lane motorway. 

I am surprised why up till now the PML N government has not undertaken the project of building the ninth wonder of the world, the eight being the panama canal, a 48 miles long canal connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific ocean a man-made maritime water way. Fortunately we have river Indus right up to the Arabian Sea, it needs a few hundred locks and the Arabian Sea will be right at the mouth of river Ravi, at the heart of Lahore, such a mega project like Metro, Orange Train, Motor Way will definitely result in boosting the economy of the country, as we don’t need, schools, hospitals, houses or food. It’s the same Punjab which according to Ayesha Jallal in her book “ The Sole Spokesman” quotes as “Their prediction that Jinnah would achieve nothing if he came to Punjab proved to be correct “he left Punjab swearing “I shall never come to Punjab again; it’s such a hopeless place”. For the father of the nation it was a “hopeless place” but for BCB and its chairman it’s the most dependable, secure and trustworthy place. The PCB must wake up and consider the whole of Pakistan its domain. 

The people of Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar and Rawalpindi are as enthusiastic, zealous and cricket loving as that of “ZINDA DIL AN E LAHORE”. For God’s sake stop this step motherly treatment with the citizens of other cities and provinces; otherwise someday someone might also “Smell Jute” from the roads and cricket stadiums of Lahore, 

AAMIR AQIL,  

Lahore, September 12.