KARACHI - Sri Lankan sports minister Gamini Lokuge showed his satisfaction over the security arrangements made for the first test match here at the Nat8ional Stadium. Talking to a media conference here Saturday he said that providing security to the visiting teams was the responsibility of the host government and he was satisfied with the arrangements. The minister arrived in the city on Friday night from Colombo via Dubai. HR director PCB former test cricketer Wasim Bari received the minister at the airport. The visiting minister would proceed to Dubai after the first test to attend an ICC meeting. Responding to a query, the minister said he was not a security expert but one had to trust the host government because it was they who could make security arrangements. He said he had full confidence in the arrangements made for his team. He said the presence of his team for the test series and his own visit here proved that things were secure. He said it also send a message to other countries and to the ICC about security situation in Pakistan. Pakistan's Federal Sports Minister Pir Aftab Shah Jilani also accompanied his Sri Lankan counterpart. The Sri Lankan minister said it was for other nations to make up their opinion about the security situation but as far as his country was concerned it decided to visit Pakistan because it wanted to return a friendly gesture when Sri Lanka needed it about 12 years ago during the World Cup. At that time some western teams refused to play for alleged security reasons but both India and Pakistan like good neighbours brushed aside all concerns and visited the island. His country responded with same spirit in the hour of trial for Pakistan. The two countries had always enjoyed good friendly relations, he added. The minister rejected a suggestion that India had tried to influence Sri Lanka not to undertake tour of Pakistan after India cancelled its schedule tour. He said Sri Lanka was a sovereign country and took its own decisions. The Island nation agreed to the tour Pakistan because it wanted to help another friendly country. About security of his own country, he said that even England had its own security problems due to Irish Republic Army activities. He said Tamil Tigers were active in distant far south of his country and declared the insurgency would be terminated within weeks. When asked about the interim cricket arrangements in Sri Lanka he said cricket came under his ministry and an interim arrangement was put in place when it came to light that things were not being run properly. He said his country wanted to expand its sports ties with Pakistan in other sports. He disclosed that in a meeting with the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt, he had suggested exchange of junior teams in future.