Attack on cricketers due to security lapse: Pak

Pakistan on Thursday handed over its preliminary investigation report into the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers to the island nation, blaming it on a 'foreign hand' but admitting that it was a 'total security lapse'.

Interior Ministry Chief Rehman Malik shared the findings of the probe with Sri Lankan High Commissioner Jayalath Weerakkody and handed over the report during a meeting on Wednesday, the Dawn newspaper said. The paper quoted sources as saying that the preliminary investigations had "indicated a total security lapse and involvement of a foreign hand".

"The meeting was held in a very cordial atmosphere in which latest position of investigations came under discussion," a spokesman for the interior ministry said. The report admitted that the police force deployed for the security of the cricket team was inadequate. It added that additional police forces did not reach the site on time to provide back-up to the police party that fought the terrorists for about half an hour.

The report revealed that the attack was planned in and financed by some foreign country and was carried out by militants from the South Waziristan tribal region. The report stated that the police had so far failed to arrest even a single attacker, in spite of detaining five suspects who allegedly helped the terrorists in carrying out the attack.