Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 313 Wed. April 13, 2005  
   
Sports


Watertight security for Indo-Pak final ODI


India is mounting a three-layer security around Delhi's Ferozshah Kotla stadium which hosts the sixth and final Indo-Pak one-day international match on April 17.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf will watch the game.

Official sources said the three-layer security would consist of forces drawn from elite commandos of National Security Guard and Special Protection Group, paramilitary groups and Delhi police who will be deployed around the two top leaders.

The security arrangements were finalised at a high-level meeting convened by Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil here on Monday evening.

Manmohan Singh and Musharraf are likely to watch the match for the first one and half hours and they might take a break to discuss bilateral issues before returning to the stadium later, the sources said.

An air-conditioned bullet-proof enclosure is being installed in the stadium for the Indian Prime Minister and the Pakistan President to watch the match.

Singh invited Musharraf to watch one of the matches in Pakistan's first full tour of India in six years after the Pakistani general had expressed his desire to watch a game.

The extraordinary security at the stadium will mean spectators can expect a tough time parking their vehicles.

They will now have to park at places ranging from one and a half kilometres to five kilometers from where they will be ferried to the stadium by special buses.