In a move that surprised most of the media critics, the Congress and the Bhartiya Janata Party launched a stunning attack on the Pakistan government for its failure to provide protection to the players of the visiting Sri Lankan team in Lahore.

Several top players of the Sri Lankan cricket team were injured by one dozen terrorists just minutes  before it was about to enter Lahore's Gaddafi stadium to resume play.

"We are stunned by the terrorist act and our sympathies are with the players who got injured and we hope they have speedy a recovery," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told media persons.

"Is it a plot hatched by the Inter-Services Intelligence? It is still early days, I would not like to treat that path as yet," Tiwari said.

Asked what action does the government of India proposes to take, Tewari said whatever needs to be done will be done. "But it for the International Cricket Council to tackle this issue," he added.

In a similar worded statement, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the incident that took place in Lahore clearly establishes the fact that Pakistan is emerging as an epicentre of terrorism.

Both the parties recalled that last time sportsmen were attacked in Munich in 1972 when Israeli players were gunned down by Muslim fundamentalists.

Prasad dismissed the charge that Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy was batting for the BJP. He thought it was below his dignity to answer the question.