Cricket-Pakistan confident over tours despite increased violence

KARACHI, July 19 (Reuters) Pakistan cricket officials are confident rising violence in parts of the country will not derail tours scheduled for later this year and next.

A wave of bomb attacks has swept northwest Pakistan, killing more than 140 people, in the aftermath of a commando assault on a militant stronghold at a mosque in Islamabad this month.

A bomb blast today killed at least 19, including seven police officials, in a market place in the southern town of Hub, near Karachi, a major test venue.

South Africa are due to arrive in September and Australia in March, the highlights of Pakistan's cricket season.

''Until now we don't see any danger of the coming tours being affected,'' a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said today.

''Pakistan remains a safe country to host international cricket matches.'' PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf told the ''Jang'' newspaper today: ''Pakistan remains as safe as any other country for international cricket and we ourselves are constantly monitoring the situation and are in touch with the government.'' Board officials are still worried, however, because the general elections are due in the next seven months.

Many teams have refused to tour Pakistan or play in Karachi and Peshawar over security concerns following the September 2001 attacks on the US.

REUTERS SAM BD1453