Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday said Pakistan is safe to host sporting mega events and called upon the International Hockey Federation to support the troubled nation in its bid to revive sporting activities in the country.

During a meeting with FIH President Leandro Negre, who is on his maiden visit to Pakistan, President Zardari assured foolproof security arrangements for the visiting teams, if the world body allocates an international event to the country.

A statement from the President house said Zardari had appreciated the role of FIH in promoting hockey in the world and asked Negre to allot an international event to Pakistan, assuring him that it would be a success and without any security threat.

Negre, meanwhile, said President Zardari had assured him that Pakistan remained a safe place for international events. “We know Pakistan’s role and contribution to world hockey and I am keen to see international hockey in the nation. “I will do my best to convince the FIH members to allocate a tournament to Pakistan but we also have to keep a close watch on the security situation,” Negre said.

The FIH has twice moved the Champions Trophy out of Pakistan for security reasons after some participating teams refused to tour the nation because of security concerns.