The Pakistan government has stopped two top officials of Election Commission from visiting India, apparently in protest against India’s hostile attitude towards Pakistani cricketers in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction.
Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Hamid Ali Mirza and Secretary Ishtiak Ahmad were part of a delegation invited by their Indian counterparts to participate in the Golden Jubilee ceremony of Indian democracy.
The government had decided to bar the delegation from visiting India a couple of days ago but had not conveyed its decision to the ECP officials. The officials were informed just hours before they were scheduled to fly from Lahore on Saturday that their visit to India had been cancelled
The government had already stopped three parliamentarians from visiting New Delhi for the same function. There is lot of anger and hurt feeling in Pakistan for the way the country’s cricketers were ignored in the IPL auction. The common perception is that it smacks of intentional ultimate insult and expression of animosity towards Pakistan which has engulfed sports as well.
In this context, the authorities here are also deliberating deeply on the question of participation in the hockey World Cup being starting in India later this month. The overwhelming view is in favour of going to India though a strong minority thinks the other way. Officials here say the Federal Government will process the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the national hockey squad for the upcoming World Cup in India without offering any hindrance.
“There is no question of withdrawing from the tournament as it will affect the future of hockey,” said a senior government functionary on condition of anonymity.
The Pakistan squad is scheduled to appear in the FIH hockey World Cup slated to be held in New Delhi, India, from February 28 to March 13.
“The turbulent sporting relations between the two countries will not affect the scheduled hockey tour of Pakistan Hockey Federation [PHF],” he added.
