Express News screengrab of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

RAWALPINDI: Inviting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to a cricket match, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday said that various members of the TTP play as well as watch cricket.



Nisar was speaking to the media in Rawalpindi after playing a few shots during a tournament held in the city. He was the chief guest at the event.



The interior minister said if a cricket match does take place, the outcome will be positive.



Nisar also stated that Pakistan was a peaceful country but its enemies want to spread terrorism in the country.



He remarked that cricket was a sport that signifies peace, friendship and brotherhood, however, there were various powers who wish to destroy Pakistani cricket.



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TTP's response



TTP-Mohmand chapter leader Omar Khorasani responded to the interior minister’s remarks in a tweet.



“Chaudhry Nisar sahib cricket would be played after Islamic system is enforced as we cannot expect neutral umpires in the present system,” Khorasani tweeted in Urdu.



https://twitter.com/omarkhorasani1/status/437877931805642752



Khorasani’s TTP chapter had claimed that they executed 23 Frontier Corps soldiers last week, who had been held hostage since 2010. This particular incident led to the deadlock in the peace dialogue in the country.