Champions Trophy Tour: Pak's Abbottabad scenery praise backfires, reminded of Osama bin Laden's hideout| WATCH

Pakistan has come under online scrutiny after sharing a video showcasing the "stunning scenery" of Abbottabad as part of its promotional campaign for the ICC Champions Trophy Tour. The video, posted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, highlighted what they claimed were the picturesque landscapes of Abbottabad, Nathia Gali, and Murree as part of the tour across the country.

"Stunning scenery in Abbottabad, Nathia Gali and Murree as the ICC #ChampionsTrophy Tour rolls on across Pakistan," wrote PCB in their X post.

However, the inclusion of Abbottabad in the video quickly sparked controversy. Many users took to social media to remind the PCB and the public that the city was the location where former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden lived for years in hiding before being killed by US Navy SEALs in 2011. A year later, the compound where Bin Laden had been living was reportedly demolished by the Pakistani government.

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One user humorously commented, "Abbottabad, the safest city in the whole world where even #1 terrorist Osama bin Laden lived for years safely."

Another added, "Abbottabad is the place where terrorist Osama Bin Laden lived, right!?"

These comments echoed widespread sentiment online, with users mocking the irony of the city being celebrated for its beauty despite its infamous history.

Last month, reports claimed that three terrorist groups banned by the Indian government—Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen, and Jaish-e-Mohammed—have set up a joint training facility in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The training camp is reportedly located on land owned by Pakistan's Army, near a military installation, which makes it a highly secure "safe zone." Its proximity to the Army camp ensures a high level of protection, making it nearly impossible for outsiders to approach without military clearance.

Reports further indicated that young men and women are trained at the facility under the supervision of Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI. However, it remains unclear whether the new training camp is constructed on the site of bin Laden's former safe house.

PoK cities dropped from Champions Trophy Tour

Last week, cities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) were excluded from the ICC Champions Trophy tour after the global body acted swiftly in response to India's strong objection. The revised itinerary now includes Karachi, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Abbottabad in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region.

The Trophy Tour, which started in Islamabad on November 16,  has so far traveled to Taxila and Khanpur, Abbottabad, Murree and Nathia Gali. The tour will conclude in Karachi (November 22-25).

After the Trophy Tour in Pakistan, it will visit Afghanistan (November 26-28), followed by Bangladesh (December 10-13), South Africa (December 15-22), Australia (December 25-January 5), New Zealand (January 6-11), England (January 12-14), and India (January 15-26). The cities for the tour outside Pakistan will be announced in due course.

"A series of physical and digital engagements traversing iconic destinations, sporting events and key battles in the international cricket calendar form the Trophy Tour schedule, during which fans will also be treated to a content series titled ‘Champion on Tour’ that will document the Trophy Tour’s journey around the world through the lens of food, music and cricket," ICC had said in last week's release.

Pakistan is the defending champion of the Champions Trophy, having won the title at The Oval in London in 2017 by defeating India in the final.

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For this edition, India has reportedly refused to travel to Pakistan for the tournament, and the ICC is working with the PCB to find a potential solution, including the possibility of a hybrid model or relocating the competition to another country, such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or South Africa.

A PTI report quoting sources within the PCB stated that the Trophy Tour was planned in consultation with and approved by the ICC, emphasizing that it was not a unilateral decision by the PCB.

“If they had issues they should have notified the PCB immediately before announcing the trophy tour. Anyways the PCB as hosts and commercial partners of the ICC is cooperating as always with them,” a source told the news agency last week.