Pakistan football team's participation in SAFF Championship uncertain

KARACHI: Pakistan football team which was set to participate in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Cup missed its flight on Sunday due to a delay in the issuance of India's visa. 

The biennial event is scheduled to be held in Bengaluru from June 21 to July 4. Pakistan are scheduled to face India on Wednesday. 

The Green Shirts are in Mauritius and it was expected that they would get the visas on Saturday but till the filing of the report, nothing had happened.

The team was scheduled to fly for India on Sunday (today) at 11:30am Mauritius time but according to sources they were told by the Indian authorities to reschedule their departure and delay it until Monday.

This has put Pakistan's team in a difficult situation. Sources said India’s High Commission in Mauritius has not yet got clearance from its Home Ministry to issue visas to the Pakistan team.

A Pakistan team official contacted Pakistan High Commission in India to extend its help in visa matters.

Sources said there are fears that some players may get visas and some may not as they will have to make individual clearance which is a long process. "The passports of the Pakistan football team are still with the Indian Embassy," added the sources. 

Due to a delay in visa, the team's stay in Mauritius is extended. The officials of the team got in touch today, after which Indian football officials assured them they are to get the visas, as per the sources. 

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) officials are also contacting the SAFF tournament officials, said sources, adding that the football team had suffered a loss of Rs10.3 million due to missing of flights. 

They added if the Pakistan team’s reservation for India’s tour is rescheduled then it will inflict Rs13 million damage on the country. 

The next few hours are very important and if visas are not issued then Pakistan will have no option but to return home, said the sources, adding that Saturday was the last day of the four-nation event in Mauritius and Pakistan also will have to bear its boarding and lodging expenses if the team stays until Monday or Tuesday.

They further said that India’s visa matter had also put Pakistani players in persistent tension and they could not focus on their third game which the team lost against Djibouti 3-1 on Sunday.

FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee chairman Haroon Malik was contacted several times but did not receive this correspondent's calls.

Pakistan's schedule 

June 21 — India

June 24 — Kuwait

June 27 — Nepal