Pushing back the boundary rope

All because the theatre of war has shifted from the Line of Control to the fields of Karachi, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Lahore and Multan. And bazookas and bullets have given way to bats and balls. And India is taking on Pakistan in Pakistan for the first time in 15 years, not counting three Independence Cup one-dayers in 1997.

For diplomatic missions used to troubled circumstances, the prospect of handling nearly 10,000 Indians — if one ignores a few more thousand in April, for the Tests — going over to Pakistan in a span of two weeks has come like an Anil Kumble googly.

VISA BE: To provide a level playing field, Pakistan has allowed its mission in Delhi to entertain visa requests from anyone with a confirmed match ticket. So long, the criterion for a visa was a relative on the other side.

Since the Pakistan Cricket Board is selling 35 per cent tickets online, the PCB’s e-mail confirmation will suffice for applying for the visa. The processing cost: Rs 15.

If there is a catch, it lies in the limited number of visas available for each venue. Lahore, where two ODIs will be played, has been sanctioned 2,500 visas per match. Karachi is next, with 1,500, followed by Rawalpindi (1,000) and Peshawar (750).

‘‘We are concentrating on the ODIs for the moment,’’ says Munawar Bhatty, Pakistani deputy high commissioner in New Delhi. ‘‘A three-day visa will be issued for those going to view the ODI, Test spectators will get visas for a week. We are being lenient, so as to accommodate spectators, but it is essential that applicants have confirmed tickets for the match.’’

While visas will be issued for a particular city, as is the existing practice, Bhatty told The Sunday Express that the mission will definitely work out something for those who have confirmed bookings for two venues. ‘‘We will take them on a case by case basis and work out something,’’ he says.

Cricket fans going to Pakistan have to specify their mode of transport in the visa applications. While entry into and exit from Pakistan will have to be in the mode of transport specified in the visa, both sides are working hard at increasing options for cricket fans.

MODE MOOD: Deliberations on the mechanism of transport are expected soon, with both sides willing to relax restrictions for the series. In fact, the Pakistani side has proposed to run special buses between Amritsar and Lahore for the many planning to land up at Amritsar for the journey ahead. Pakistan even has plans to conduct a visa camp at Amritsar.

Both sides are also likely to consider allowing people going to watch the match to cross the Wagah by foot. This would immensely help the plans which several tour operators have in mind: a pick-up from Wagah to Lahore.

As for further destinations like Karachi, special flights may be operated by co-ordination between Indian and Pakistani civil aviation authorities. While Pakistan International Airlines is already operating flights connecting Delhi and Mumbai to Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, Indian Airlines has biweekly operations in the Delhi-Lahore sector. In addition, private domestic carriers like Jet Airways and Air Sahara can operate special flights to Pakistan for the ongoing series.

Indian Airlines is also designing packages for the cricket tourist from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Jaipur and Ahmedabad. But its package is restricted to Lahore as its flights for Karachi have still not been cleared by the Home Ministry.

By the coming week, travel operators are likely to spoil the cricket tourists for choice.