Police officials said around 23 India crew officials working in Pakistan Super League were asked to leave Pakistan via Wagah on Saturday amidst escalation in tension Pahalgam terrorist attacks that left 28 tourists killed.
On the directives of Pakistan’s interior ministry some 23 crew members were escorted in strict security and were sent back to India via Wagah border.
Around eight crew members including some engineering and graphic worked are still working in the PSL matches but will leave on April 29, official said.
The PSL will be hit hard by the absence of India’s skilled staff members as they are expert in graphics operation and engineering of the broadcast, said sources.
Pakistan’s broadcast largely depends on the skilled Indian staff, especially in the camera and graphics work. Since the inception of the PSL in 2016 most of the staff members in the broadcast are from India.
But when international series clashed with India’s then Pakistan also hires staff from South Africa and Malaysia. India and Pakistan have cancelled all the valid visas of the citizens travelling to the respective countries and have ordered them to leave in the next 48 hours in a tit-for-tat. The steps have also cast doubts over the crew members of the PSL broadcast.
The PSL had come in trouble before when the broadcasters IMG Reliance, the Indian broadcaster was covering the PSLI in the UAE when the Pulwama attacks happened in February 2019. The IMG withdrew from its contract as official production partner for the event.
PCB in return filed a compensation, the case of which is still pending. The sporting ties between India and Pakistan are stalled in the wake of 2008 Mumbai attacks which New Delhi blamed on militants based across the border.
