KARACHI: Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) on Wednesday pulled out of the Asia Cup Cricket for the Blind, scheduled to be held in Indian city of Kochi from January 17-24, 2016.

The PBCC has decided to withdraw its team due to deteriorating relations between the two countries at present and keeping in view security concerns of Pakistani nationals in India.

In a press statement, PBCC General Manager Cricket Operations Maher M. Yousaf Haroon, said: “Shiv Sena’s attack on Indian cricket’s headquarters in Mumbai, cancellation of PCB chairman’s meeting with BCCI president, [hurling] threats to Aleem Dar from officiating matches [in India] and ICC’s decision to send him back compelled us to consider the matter of Pakistan’s team security seriously.”

Read: BCCI’s attitude is disappointing, says Shaharyar

Haroon added that the Pakistan team had already started preparations for the event and the team had also been shortlisted but the “current scenario all of a sudden changed” everything.

The PBCC has officially informed the Cricket Association of the Blind in India (CABI) that Pakistan will not take part in the event.

The drama began on Monday when the PCB chief Shaharyar Khan was due to meet his Indian counterpart Shashank Manohar.

Read: Shiv Sena activists storm BCCI HQ over Shaharyar-Manohar meeting

Manohar had invited Shaharyar to discuss the prospect of a bilateral series between the two countries. But before the meeting could start some workers of Shiv Sena stormed into the building protesting the PCB chief’s visit and shouting anti-Pakistan slogans.

Earlier, India’s failure to provide security to Pakistan’s commentators and match officials, following Shiv Sena’s hooliganism, also forced Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar to quit the ongoing India-South Africa series and head home early.