KARACHI: Burqa clad women are giving jitters to the Pakistani security experts monitoring preparations for the Champions Trophy as it is feared that terrorists might use the veil to carry out attacks during the eight-nation tourney.
A security expert associated with the plan for the tournament has confirmed that the International Cricket Council consultants want a more comprehensive security sweep of women clad in Burqas coming for the matches.
The all-enveloping burqa outfits are worn by many women in Pakistan for religious and cultural reasons. The expert said the security consultants of the ICC feel there was no proper security check for burqa clad women in and around the stadium.
"The ICC security consultants want the Pakistan board to have an increased workforce of policewomen at the stadiums to check burqa clad women when they come for the matches," he said.
He said the ICC experts have raised some objections over the security arrangements that have been made for the recent Asia Cup in Lahore and Karachi.
And inadequate arrangements to check women wearing Burqas at the entrance of the stadiums and enclosures was one of them.
Western security officials remain wary of the burqa as in the recent past militants have disguised themselves in it to carry out suicide bomb attacks and also smuggle explosives and arms in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In a highly reported incident, the radical cleric of the Lal Masjid complex was arrested by security forces while he was trying to flee clad in the burqa after security forces stormed the complex in July.
The ICC is holding a meeting of all stakeholders of the Champions Trophy on Sunday in which the security plan for the event would be discussed threadbare and the consultants would brief all the participants about their monitoring of the security cover in the Asia Cup held in Karachi and Lahore.
The PCB will also give a briefing to the member countries and international players association and television companies about security arrangements.
The experts have, meanwhile, asked the PCB to install more scanners at the entrances of the stadium and enclosures for security sweeps of the general public as they believe a increased workforce is required for the Champions Trophy.
