World seeks answers regarding Pakistan terror attack

Pakistan was facing probing questions from world sports chiefs and the media today over how the terrorists who ambushed the Sri Lankan cricket team could attack such a high-profile target, then escape unscathed.

Former England Test cricketer-turned referee Chris Broad, who was caught up in Tuesday’s attack, said police abandoned him like a “sitting duck” and video showed the gunmen sauntering down a deserted side street, apparently leaving with no fear of pursuit.

But several Pakistani officials rejected Mr Broad’s claim, stressing that six policemen guarding the convoy were killed when it was attacked by up to 14 heavily-armed men near a stadium in the heart of Lahore.

One official, however, admitted to a local news channel that there had been security lapses, including a lack of police reinforcements.

The government had pledged to give the Sri Lankan players and match officials the same level of protection afforded a head of state, so the incident triggered questions about Pakistan’s ability to prevent terrorist attacks.

“It is a source of embarrassment at the international level,” Ahsan Iqbal, an opposition MP, said. “This government should be ashamed and make those responsible for criminal negligence in their duties accountable.”

The lapse was all the more shocking because Pakistan knew any incident would end, perhaps for years, its hopes of regularly hosting international sporting events.

Even before Tuesday’s ambush, most teams chose not to visit this cricket-obsessed country because of rising violence by Islamic extremists.

Police chiefs gave conflicting accounts of the investigation. One said several suspects had been taken into custody in connection with the attack, but hours later, another denied anyone had been detained or even questioned.

Islamic militants were widely suspected of carrying out the attack. Pakistan has a web of extremist networks, some with links to al Qaida and the Taliban, that have attacked foreigners in a bid to destabilise the government and punish it for supporting the US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

Mr Broad was in a van in the same convoy as the Sri Lankan team bus when the attackers opened fire with automatic weapons, grenades and at least one rocket launcher, killing his driver and critically wounding a fellow official.

“There was not a sign of a policeman anywhere,” Mr Broad said yesterday after flying back to Britain. “They had clearly left the scene and left us to be sitting ducks.”

Other witnesses described police trading fire with the gunmen for about 15 minutes, but at least one of the Sri Lankan players said the attackers appeared to fire at will at the bus.

“They were not under pressure ... nobody was firing at them,” team captain Mahela Jayawardene said after returning to Sri Lanka.

Seven players and an assistant coach on the bus were wounded, though none suffered life-threatening injuries.

Players said their bus stopped for around 90 seconds while under attack, before the driver stepped on the gas and drove them to the safety of the stadium.

Mr Broad and the players said Pakistani officials had promised to give them “presidential style” security as part of efforts to convince them to make the trip.

“I am extremely angry we were promised high-level security and in our hour of need that security vanished and we were left just open to anything,” he said.

But Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ijaz Butt said: “How can Chris Broad say this when six policemen were killed?” He refused to comment further, saying he wanted to speak to Mr Broad first.

Pressed by local media, Lahore commissioner Khusro Pervez admitted “very vivid and very clear” security lapses.

“The gunmen were meant to be combated by back-up police support which didn’t arrive,” Dawn newspaper quoted him as saying to a news show owned by the same media company.

“All convoys are provided outer cordons, but in this case the outer cordon did not respond or it was not enough. The vehicles used for escorting the Sri Lankan convoy were not adequate.”

The convoy transporting the Sri Lankan team and cricket officials was surrounded by police vehicles at the front, rear and side, and took the same route each day of the five-day test match against Pakistan’s national team, authorities said. It was not clear how many police officers were in the convoy.

Back home, Sri Lankan players recounted their ordeal.

“We were just hearing bullet after bullet thump into the bus. We were hearing gunshots, a few explosions and you could see bullets sometimes hitting a seat,” Kumar Sangakkara said.

The surveillance video, broadcast on Pakistani television, showed several attackers apparently escaping down a side street on motorcycles while brandishing weapons. Three were shown walking along the middle of the street, apparently in no fear that they were being chased by police.

None of the gunmen was killed, and all apparently escaped.

The assault bore similarities to November’s three-day terrorist rampage in the Indian financial capital of Mumbai, in which 10 gunmen targeted hotels, a Jewish centre and other sites, killing 164 people.