PTI
 
New Delhi, Oct 20: Despite apprehensions over illegal overstay by cricket fans, the Home Ministry has given clearance for grant of visas to around 1,000 Pakistani visitors to watch the ICC Champions Trophy matches in India.

The decision to grant the visas follows repeated requests from the BCCI and the Punjab Cricket Association in view of the enthusiasm generated across the border by the upcoming matches at Mohali which is not far from the Wagah checkpost, Ministry sources said today.

They said visas would be granted ahead of the Pakistan- New Zealand match on October 25 and the Pakistan-South Africa tie on October 27 -- both at Mohali.

The Home Ministry has yielded to the request even as 11 of the 2,754 Pakistanis, who came here in March 2005 to watch the Indo-Pak test match at Mohali, are still untraced.

However, as a precautionary measure in view of the fears expressed by intelligence agencies that some Pakistani visitors could use the match ticket to gain entry into the country and overstay posing security risk, the MHA has this time decided to limit the number of single-entry visas to around 1,000 though the demand was much higher.