ISLAMABAD, 18 September 2021, (TON): Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that there was a "conspiracy" behind the cancellation of New Zealand's tour to Pakistan, the team's first in 18 years.

In response to a question, Ahmed declined to name the country responsible for the conspiracy but termed the cancellation "an attempt to damage our efforts for peace in the region.”

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the minister said “the New Zealand team's security incharge spoke to government officials in the morning and informed them of a threat. When the officials asked for further details, the NZ security incharge "did not have any".

Ahmed said “Pakistan had deployed commandos from Pakistan Army's Special Services Group (SSG), soldiers, and 4,000 policemen for the matches in Rawalpindi.”

He disclosed "we also tried to convince them to play the match without spectators. But they did not agree to it.”

The minister said that the government's team also reached out to Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently in Dushanbe to participate in the 20th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of State (SCO-CHS) Summit.

"He called New Zealand's Prime Minister [Jacinda Ardern] and assured her of providing complete security to the Kiwis. The New Zealand prime minister said there was no issue of a threat."