Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan Super League (PSL) Chairman Najam Sethi said on Sunday that Pakistan would never bow down before anyone.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of PSL final, Sethi thanked Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan Cricket Board Patron Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab administration, PSL and PCB officials and the people of Pakistan for their encouragement and hard work that made the event possible.

“Today it is because of you that we are in Lahore,” he told the full house at the stadium. “Today there are people here from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Karachi, Quetta – from every part of Pakistan. This is a show of solidarity. The whole world should see we are together. We will not bow our heads before anyone. We can do anything,” he added. He said that holding the PSL final is in Lahore was an honour for Pakistan and an expression of unwavering commitment of the nation against terrorism.

“Wah, maza aye ga aaj [Today will be enjoyable]!… Someone will win, someone will lose, but in the end, it will be yours and Pakistan’s win.”Amid heightened security concerns, the Punjab government claimed it had “prepared a fool-proof security plan” for the match.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah had said nearly 4,000 police and paramilitary Rangers will be patrolling the area and fans will have to pass five security layers before reaching the 25,000-capacity stadium.