'Because of You': Pakistan Credits Sri Lankan President for Saving Indo–Pak Match

COLOMBO (News 1st); Because of you - That was the message delivered by Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control, Mohsin Raza Naqvi, when he met Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo.

Extending warm greetings from both the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan, Naqvi said they had specifically requested him to convey their wishes. He told President Dissanayake that yesterday’s match had made him “the actual hero,” noting that more than two billion people across India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were entertained because of his intervention.

Naqvi explained that Pakistan had been facing several issues regarding playing against India, and the decision had been at “50-50.” But he said that everything changed the moment the Prime Minister of Pakistan received a call from President Dissanayake. According to Naqvi, the Prime Minister immediately phoned him and said, “There is no more issue, the President has called me and we have to play the match.”

He emphasized that it was solely due to that call that Pakistan agreed to participate in the match against India. Naqvi said, “It’s only because of you that we played the match… you managed and got this done.”

Pakistan’s Minister of Interior and Narcotics Control is on an official visit to Sri Lanka, and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says the visit, along with the Pakistan national cricket team’s arrival, further strengthens the longstanding friendship between the two nations.

The President made these remarks when Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, and the Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Chaudhry Salik Hussain, met him at the Presidential Secretariat this morning.

President Dissanayake expressed gratitude to Pakistan’s Prime Minister for responding to Sri Lanka’s request and making the necessary arrangements for Pakistan’s cricket team to visit the country. He also appreciated Pakistan’s consistent support during challenging moments faced by the Sri Lankan people, including during Cyclone Ditwah.

The visiting delegation said Pakistan hopes to continue enhancing its relationship with Sri Lanka and further strengthen cooperation both within the region and beyond. They expressed appreciation for Sri Lanka’s support and stated that they expect to hold broader discussions in the future on investment, the labour market, and tourism between the two countries.