LAHORE
Politicians and former diplomats have criticised Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the government for their attempt to convince India to play a cricket series with Pakistan amid tension on borders.
India has plainly refused to play a cricket series with Pakistan in December this year while blaming Islamabad for promoting terrorism across the borders and ‘dying’ for the expected money to be earned from the series.
“The PCB chairman should have consulted with the foreign office, and I believe as a token of respect to the sacrifices of our soldiers and those innocent people living near borders, who are constantly targeted by the Indian army, the PCB should have avoided convincing India for cricket,” said former PM Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani while talking to The News.
Gilani said when he was the PM he in every meeting with his Indian counterpart whether it was in Sharam al Sheikh, Mohali or Maldives, he had made it clear that Pakistan wanted good relationships with India on the principle of mutual respect and mutual interest.
He said: “We have several issues with India including Kashmir, Sir Creek, Siachen and it was mandatory to consult the government, of whom, army is also a part before taking any such initiative”. He said: “During his tenure as PM, it was conveyed to India that both sides were victims of terrorism and we had to delink the Mumbai incident with the peace initiative then Indian PM Dr Manmohan Singh described him as Man of Peace.” He said the initiative by PCB had embarrassed Pakistan and while keeping in view the prevailing situation between the two sides, it wasn’t the right time to take this step.
Wajid Shams ul Hassan, former Pakistani High Commissioner in Britain while talking to The News stated that Shehryar Khan, PCB Chairman of, himself couldn’t take the initiative. He said without the nod from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the PCB chairman could have never
taken this initiative and added not Shehryar, but the PML-N government was responsible for this embarrassment to the nation.
Sherry Rehman, former Federal Minister for Information and former Ambassador in the United States, expressed her dismay over the PCB initiative and stated that she held Shehryar in great esteem but this wasn’t the right step. “He should have taken the Foreign Office into confidence and then moved ahead” said Sherry Rehman.
The News also tried to contact PML-N senior leader including Federal Minister for Information Senator Pervaiz Rasheed but he didn’t pick the phone.
Former foreign minister of Nawaz regime in 1997 Gohar Ayub Khan when contacted stated: ‘I don’t want to comment on it.”