Colombo (TDI): Interior Minister and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi held talks with Sri Lanka’s Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Sunil Kumara Gamage, with both sides agreeing to enhance bilateral cooperation in sports, particularly cricket.
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed ways to expand collaboration through sporting exchanges and institutional coordination. It was agreed that Pakistan and Sri Lanka would work closely to promote cricket and other sports in partnership with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Sports.
“Warmth is returning to Pakistan–Sri Lanka relations,” Naqvi said, adding that sporting ties, especially cricket, could further deepen the longstanding friendship between the two countries. He also commended Sri Lanka’s arrangements during the ICC T20 World Cup, praising the management and hospitality extended to the Pakistani delegation.
“I received great affection in Sri Lanka and thank them for their wonderful hospitality,” he said, while inviting his Sri Lankan counterpart to visit Pakistan.
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Separately, Naqvi met Sri Lanka’s Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Anand Wijepala. The two sides agreed to expand cooperation in internal security, counterterrorism, narcotics control, and cybercrime prevention.
Both countries decided to strengthen coordination against illegal immigration and financial fraud, and to explore joint training initiatives for police and paramilitary personnel, including officer exchange programs through Pakistan’s National Police Academy.
The meetings come amid renewed diplomatic engagement between Islamabad and Colombo. Last week, Naqvi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, after which it was announced that he would visit Sri Lanka to deliver a special message from the prime minister to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
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The recent outreach follows discussions surrounding the T20 World Cup, during which President Dissanayake urged Pakistan to honour its fixture against India, recalling Islamabad’s past support for Sri Lankan cricket during difficult periods. Pakistan ultimately decided to participate in the match, stating that the move was aimed at protecting the spirit of the game.
