The only surprising thing about the New Zealand Cricket team suddenly cancelling the tour (just an hour before the first match started) is that they came to Pakistan in the first place. After the Taliban's violent take-over of Afghanistan and the resounding support they got from Imran Khan, any sane person would have hesitated before even thinking of coming to this country. And as if that wasn't enough, the news of seven soldiers being killed in Waziristan as well as photos of the armed Mullah Abdul Aziz preventing policemen from pulling down the Taliban flag from the roof of his mosque should have been enough to make all foreigners in Islamabad dash out of Pakistan.
But of course our ministers (like Shaikh Rasheed) refuse to accept responsibility for this debacle. It was one of the top police officers in Islamabad who warned other departments of possible terrorist activities targeting the New Zealand cricket team. Perhaps this memo found its way to the concerned cricket officials who decided to abruptly call off the tour.
But the government is least bothered. Instead of taking appropriate action to find out what really happened, its ministers are content to blame the whole thing on enemies of Pakistan (particularly India).
Ironically, just a couple of days back, the powerless president of the country (whom I used to interact with thirty years back) declared that the whole world should follow Imran Khan (in Urdu, he he said that they should become his "mureed" or disciples). From this incident, the only thing they can learn from Imran Khan is how not to conduct their foreign policies.
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