Pakistan says talks on sporting ties with India only on equal footing

ISLAMABAD

Pakistan on Saturday strongly reacted to India’s suspension of bilateral sporting ties, saying any talks in this regard would be held on equal footing and there would be no more pleading for negotiations.

India's Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry on Thursday said it would not play any bilateral sports event with Pakistan, even on neutral venues.

However, the ministry said Indian teams and individual players “will take part in international events that also have teams or players from Pakistan.”

Hence, the new policy will not affect the Asia Cup next month as it is a multi-lateral event. The Pakistan-India clash for the T20 Asia Cup would be held in Dubai on Sept 14.

“I think we are very clear that whenever talks are held will be on an equal footing with India and there will be no more begging for negotiations. That time has passed and whatever will happen will be on the basis of equality,” Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan's interior minister, who is also chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, told a news conference in Lahore.

Political and military tensions have long affected sports and people-to-people ties between the two nations.

Last year, India refused to play Champions Trophy cricket matches in Pakistan, some of which were later shifted to the UAE.

The South Asian nuclear-armed neighbors engaged in a four-day war in May, which ended in a US-brokered ceasefire.