Pakistan, set a target of 239, won with eight balls to spare thanks mainly to half-centuries from Younis Khan (64) and Umar Akmal (60 not out).
The World Cup semi-finalists have been unable to play any major matches at home since an armed attack on Sri Lanka's tour bus in Lahore in March 2009 made the country a 'no-go zone' for the world's leading teams.
But there were few signs of travel-weariness against Ireland.
Only Mohammad Hafeez, dismissed in the second over without scoring, failed but Taufiq Umar and Azhar Ali, in his first one-day international, shared 65 for the second wicket to put Pakistan back on course.
Younis Khan played the decisive innings with 64 from 74 balls, including four fours and a six.
He shared stands of 68 for the fourth wicket with captain Misbah-ul-Haq and 69 for the fifth with Akmal, who faced just 48 balls and hit six fours and a six.
The Ireland bowlers stuck to their task well with Boyd Rankin the most economical, conceding just 29 runs in his nine overs and also ending the innings of Azhar Ali, caught at slip by Paul Stirling.
It was Stirling who was named man-of-the-match after setting up the contest with a wonderfully entertaining 109, his first century against a Full Member nation, to follow ODI hundreds against Canada and, at the recent World Cup, the Netherlands.
- AFP
Tags: sport, cricket, ireland, pakistan
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