ISLAMABAD: The Asian Football Confederation President's Cup qualifying tournament is expected to go ahead in Pakistan next month despite a bombing in Lahore this week and the withdrawal of Bangladesh league champion Sheikh Jamal Dhanmundi.

An AFC official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment to the media, on Wednesday said the May 8-12 Group A qualifying event is “still on in Lahore” with clubs from Mongolia and Taiwan slated to join Pakistani champion KRL in a playoff for two spots in the next stage of the third-tier continental club tournament.

A bomb went off at a Lahore railway station on Tuesday, killing three people and wounding more than 20 others and compounding security concerns.

Pakistan has been a virtual no-go zone for foreign sports teams since gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team's bus en route to a test match at Lahore in March, 2009.