Suicide bomber behind Pak blast: Minister

LAHORE/QUETTA: A Pakistani minister admitted Saturday a suicide bomber was behind an explosion that killed two people outside the stadium during a Pakistan-Zimbabwe cricket match, as a spokesman for the hosts said the visitors would continue the tour.
Friday’s explosion, which police still insist was an accidental blast, threatened to torpedo cricket-mad Pakistan’s first series on home soil since an attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in March 2009.
Gunmen disguised as members of the Pakistani security forces killed at least 22 passengers on Friday night after forcing them off buses travelling from the western city of Quetta to Karachi on the southern coast, officials said.
The assault in the province of Baluchistan occurred in the town of Mastung, around 40 km south of Quetta.
The bombing, which did not affect the match itself, triggered a news blackout in Pakistani media and came despite heavy security in and around Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
“The incident has not affected the tour, Zimbabwe’s tour will continue,” a spokesman for the Pakistan Cricket Board said. “Their players have gone shopping today.”
“They are satisfied with the arrangements, so the tour will continue,” he said.
The visitors were holding an internal meeting Saturday afternoon and could not immediately be reached for comment.
“We heard a blast during the match on Friday. We do not know what it was,” Zimbabwe team spokesman Lovemore Banda said before the meetings.
Pakistan has so far won all of the matches in the series, two Twenty20 meets and two earlier one-day internationals.
The Pakistan Cricket Board says the third and final one-day international against Zimbabwe will go ahead on Sunday at the Gaddafi Stadium despite security concerns after a suicide bomber blew himself up close to the stadium on Friday night during the second ODI.
Pakistan’s information minister on Saturday said the explosion outside the Gaddafi Stadium was a suicide bomb, despite police claims to the contrary.
“The suicide bomber failed to enter the stadium due to the bravery of our police,” Pervez Rashid told private broadcaster Geo.
The attack took place about 1.5 km from the venue at “the outer security cordon of the stadium,” Rashid said.
He said one policeman and the rickshaw driver died.