Pakistan seeks military training from Sri Lanka

September 9th, 2009 COLOMBO - The US is providing training and equipment to the Sri Lanka Army to assist its efforts to demine areas in the island's north where the Tamil Tigers were crushed in May. The training will build additional military capacity to clear mines in the Northern Province and expedite the safe return of people displaced by the war to their homes, a US embassy statement said Wednesday.

June 25th, 2009 DHAKA - Some key members of banned Islamist militant organisation Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) are now in Pakistan for military training. The Daily Star quoted a senior official of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) as, saying that at least two militants wanted by his organisation had fled to Pakistan and were staying there.Both of them could be actively assisting the Taliban who are currently fighting the Pakistan security forces," he added.

May 14th, 2009 KARACHI - Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will not review the security arrangements in Sri Lanka ahead of the summer series between the two countries. The PCB chairman Ijaz Butt Thursday said Pakistan has complete faith in the security arrangements in Sri Lanka for the series in July-August.

May 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON -The Obama administration is pushing for a new proposal which would give the US Central Command (CENTCOM) a wartime authority to deal with Pakistan. The new proposal, if accepted by the US Congress, would give the military commanders the same total authority that they enjoy in Iraq and Afghanistan's war zones.

April 22nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - The Obama Administration wants to pursue broader military ties with Pakistan in order to help Islamabad combat a growing threat from militant groups including the Taliban, a senior Pentagon official has said. US Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Michele Flournoy said Washington wants to provide the Pakistani Army with training and advice on counterinsurgency tactics developed in Iraq and Afghanistan and support ongoing operations with intelligence and other assistance.

April 20th, 2009 Sri Lanka gives 24 hours for rebels to surrenderCOLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka's military says rebels will face military action if they do not surrender in 24 hours. Defense spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella says that rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran has been given until noon Tuesday (1730 GMT) to make a decision or face a "military course of action." The statement came Monday after the military said it broke through rebel defenses in a designated "no-fire zone" and freed some 25,000 people who were trapped there.

February 22nd, 2009 KARACHI - Sri Lanka fast bowler Farveez Maharoof will fly back home from here Sunday evening after suffering from a groin injury, a Sri Lanka team official announced. Maharoof, 24, injured his groin during a training session and was ruled out of the two-match Test series under progress in Pakistan.

February 22nd, 2009 KARACHI - Sri Lankan Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge Saturday said that Pakistan was a safe place to host sporting events. Loguke, who is on a visit here on the invitation of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), said the Sri Lankan government had trusted Pakistan as far as the security of the cricket team concerned.

February 21st, 2009 KARACHI - Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene was confident of his team's chances against Pakistan in the first cricket Test beginning here at the National Stadium from Saturday. Jayawardene, who has decided to step down as captain after the two-match series against Pakistan, said that Sri Lanka will try to maintain its good Test form and will go all out to win its first Test series in Pakistan.

February 5th, 2009 KARACHI - Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam doesn't read much into Sri Lanka's recent mauling at the hands of India in their ongoing one-day series. He believes that Mahela Jayawardene's men will be tough to beat in a two-match Test series against Pakistan getting underway in Karachi later this month.

January 18th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Sri Lanka will enhance defence cooperation, including military training and intelligence sharing, officials said after a meeting of the representatives of the two countries Monday. The defence secretaries of the two countries discussed various cooperations during a meeting at the garrison city of Rawalpindi, the official Associated Press of Pakistan said.

January 14th, 2009 KARACHI - Pakistani cricketers will assemble here Friday for a brief training camp ahead of a hurriedly-arranged one-day series against Sri Lanka starting Tuesday. Fifteen players selected for the three-match assignment and a few reserves will warm up under the supervision of coach Intikhab Alam ahead of the series opener at the National Stadium here under lights.

January 13th, 2009 KARACHI - The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Wednesday revised the itinerary of its home series against Sri Lanka, squeezing three One-day Internationals within four days on the request of the tourists. A PCB spokesman said that the Sri Lankans will stay in Pakistan for less than a week and will now play back-to-back One-dayers in Karachi on Jan 20 and 21 before featuring in the last game of the series on Jan 24 in Lahore.

January 7th, 2009 KARACHI - Pakistan's cricket officials Thursday heaved a sigh of relief when Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed that it will send its team to Pakistan twice this season to play One-day Internationals and Tests. Though the matches confirmed by SLC are lesser than the number of games asked by the Pakistan Cricket Board, the officials are happy that the proposed series has been confirmed.

January 4th, 2009 KARACHI - Pakistan still remains uncertain about the dates and number of matches it will host against Sri Lanka this season, as cricket board officials in that country are yet to finalise the schedule of the hurriedly-arranged tour. A senior Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said Monday they were yet to receive the series itinerary from the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) that had promised to send the schedule Sunday.