Pakistan's Tehrik-e-Taliban group issued a statement on Sunday, March 22, asking all foreign players participating in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) cricket matches to avoid travelling to the country, noting that security is not guaranteed. The group highlighted that the present security situation in Pakistan is not suitable for hosting the sport. The Pakistan Super League 2026 is scheduled to begin on March 26.
"Today, the people of Pakistan, specifically those in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, are enduring unprecedented hardships due to systemic military oppression and state-led violence. While our streets are marked by the funerals of our loved ones and our mothers mourn the disappearance of their sons, the organized spectacle of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) serves as a cruel mockery of our suffering. Hosting such festive displays while entire regions bleed is an act of "rubbing salt into our wounds" that we categorically reject," Tehrik-e-Taliban spokesperson Asad Mansoor said in a statement posted by Islamabad Post.
ALSO READ: ICC Warns Pakistan Amid Threats Of Boycotting T20 World Cup
🔴 JUST IN 🇵🇰
— Islamabad Post (@ISBPost) March 23, 2026
Armed opposition groups in Pakistan have issued a statement urging all foreign players participating in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) cricket matches to avoid traveling to Pakistan, stating that their security is not guaranteed and there is a risk of harm.
The… pic.twitter.com/caf7Tim1ep
Safety Not Guaranteed
Warning foreign players, the statement mentioned, "We wish to convey a clear and urgent message to all participants of the PSL, especially the foreign players: The current internal security and political landscape of the country is volatile and precarious. In a climate where military operations and civil unrest dominate significant portions of the territory, the safety of international athletes cannot be guaranteed. Given these dire circumstances, we strongly advise you to prioritize your personal security and withdraw from the tournament immediately. The environment is currently unfit for any peaceful sporting activity."
The group clarified that they are not against the sport but are opposing the state of normalcy that has been portrayed in the region. "While we are not inherently opposed to healthy sporting activities, we refuse to tolerate the state's hypocrisy. It is unacceptable to promote an image of "normalcy" through cricket matches in one part of the country while state-sponsored atrocities continue unabated in another. We will not allow the blood of the oppressed to be overshadowed by the lights of a stadium, nor will we permit the dignity of our people to be compromised for the sake of political optics," the statement noted.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
