We haven't broken sporting ties with India

Lahore, Dec 25, 2008: Sports Minister Pir Aftab Shah Jilani has said his country is yet to break sporting ties with India and added that a status quo still prevails on whether to retain ties with the neighbour, after the latter had cancelled their next year's tour of Pakistan. Jilani said the final decision is yet to be taken on the issue. ''A status quo prevails on whether to retain sporting ties with the neigbouring country following India's controversial decision to cancel its cricket team's tour of Pakistan,'' Jilani told mediapersons at the National Stadium in Karachi after the Pentangular Cup One-day Championship final yesterday.

''We haven't broken sporting ties with India. ''In any case, the matter is out of our (Sports Ministry's) hands and it is up to the Foreign Ministry to decide whether we can send our sports teams to India in the existing circumstances,'' said the minister.

Jilani further said the public opinion was very much in favour of a tit-for-tat reaction over India's decision to call off their tour to Pakistan.

''India's decision to cancel its cricket tour (of Pakistan) have ignited a strong reaction from the public, the players and officials,'' he said. ''Most people now want Pakistan to do the same. They don't want us to send our sportsmen to India. But it's up to the higher authorities to take a final decision in this regard,'' he added.

However, there have been reports suggesting that Pakistan have decided not to send their squash and hockey players to India in the wake of the strained relations between the two neighbours after last month's Mumbai terror attacks.

Pakistan are scheduled to feature in the 2009 Asian Junior Squash Championship in the South Indian city of Chennai next month.

The Pakistanis are the defending champions in both the team and individual categories and are favourites to retain the titles.

The national hockey team is also supposed to visit India next February to play in a quadrangular double-header to be played in Chandigarh and Jalandhar. Reports have also suggested that the authorities have blocked the two tours.

However, Jilani made it clear that nothing was official yet. ''We are awaiting instructions from the Foreign Ministry whether we can send our teams to India,'' he added.

 

-- (UNI)