Pakistan court stops World Cup 2011 Secretariat

A Pakistani court on Monday issued a stay order against the relocation of the World Cup 2011 secretariat from the country's cultural capital to India on security grounds.

"The civil court of senior judge Mohammad Younis Anees issued a stay order against the relocation of the World Cup secretariat from Lahore to Mumbai until June 2, 2009," said Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi.

The PCB's civil case against moving the World Cup head office is one of a series of protests Pakistan has made against the International Cricket Council (ICC) decision late last month to strip the country of its World Cup matches.

The decision to relocate Pakistan's 14 matches cited "uncertain security" in the nuclear-armed country, where Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants have killed more than 1,800 people in extremist attacks since July 2007.

The Cup Organising Committee (COC) also moved the World Cup 2011 secretariat out of Pakistan in its meeting held in Mumbai on April 28. The PCB earlier this month mounted a legal challenge against the ICC and wrote to request international arbitration in the matter.

Pakistan also sued the ICC, IDI (ICC Development International) and the COC World Cup 2011 in Lahore last week, saying the World Cup secretariat cannot be moved until the legal notice was resolved.

Rizvi said an ICC representative also attended Monday's hearing.

LAHORE, AFP