E&OE
3 March 2009
Doorstop interview
Subjects: Sri Lanka Cricket Team attack in Lahore, Pakistan
MINISTER: Can I firstly condemn absolutely the cowardly attack on the Sri Lankan touring cricket team in Lahore, in Pakistan.
This is clearly another cowardly terrorist attack aimed at trying to destabilise the State of Pakistan.
Our immediate concern of course, in the first instance, is with any Australians associated with the Sri Lankan touring party, and we know that there are a number.
I have just spoken to our High Commissioner in Pakistan and I can confirm that all the Australians that we are aware of travelling with the touring party, are safe. But one may be suffering from a slight injury. The players and the touring party are effectively locked up in the stadium itself.
Having just spoken to our High Commissioner in Pakistan, I can of course confirm that there are a number of Pakistani police who were killed.
But I am able to confirm that Australians we are aware of travelling with the Sri Lankan touring party are safe. One may be suffering from what are described as slight injuries that may require some medical treatment or hospitalisation. But, the best information we have is that those Australians associated with the touring party are safe.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
MINISTER We know that Trevor Bayliss of course is a coach, and we know he is associated with the touring party. He may be injured. I am not in a position to confirm at this stage the identity of the Australian who is described to me as having minor or superficial injuries.
I think that the important message to relay at this stage is the Australians who we know are associated with the touring party, all of them are confirmed to us as safe, although one, and it may be Trevor, is suffering from what is described as superficial or minor injuries.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)…evacuating them out of the stadium or out of the country? MINISTER: They are currently effectively locked up in the stadium, that is the advice our High Commissioner has received from Pakistani officials, and I am not in a position to given any update on that. Obviously we are doing our best to get as much information as we can to relay that, not just to the Australian public, but to members of those Australian families in Australia. So we will be working very hard through our High Commission and our officers in Pakistan to get that information and we hope that at some stage the travelling party itself can be removed from the stadium and eventually Pakistan.
The Sri Lankan cricket authorities have made it clear, and the Sri Lankan authorities have made it clear already, that the rest of the tour is cancelled and they intend to return the Sri Lankan team home as soon as possible.
JOURNALIST: What about possibly upgrading the travel warning for Pakistan given the circumstances? MINISTER Well we always monitor our travel advice. As you would be aware, our travel advice for Pakistan is to reconsider your need to travel. For certain areas in Pakistan we outline some clear areas where the travel advice is do not travel. But Australians should consider, or reconsider, their need to travel to Pakistan, that has been our travel advice for some period and this is underlined by the terrible incident.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
MINISTER: I am not in a position to make any public comment about that. Again, we will endeavour to get as much information as we can from Pakistan officials through our High Commissioner. But our primary concern in the first instance and in the aftermath of the attack, is of course the safety and welfare of the Australians that have been caught up in it.
[Ends]
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