NEW DELHI:
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has hinted that any bilateral cricket series between India and Pakistan is unlikely unless Pakistan stops cross- border terrorism and firing.
Swaraj said this to Parliament’s consultative committee on external affairs during a meeting which was also attended by Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar.
During the meeting, Swaraj also said that she had met Pakistan’s envoy to India and proposed to him that both countries release the prisoners who are above 70 years of age or women or of unsound mind as part of humanitarian aspect of the relationship, a member who was present in the meeting said.
The agenda of the meeting was ‘Relationship with the Neighbourhood’. Responding to a query on India-Pakistan cricket series on a neutral venue, the external affairs minister hinted that it seemed unlikely until Pakistan stopped cross-border terrorism and firing, a member said.
She clarified that terrorism and cricket can’t go hand in hand, the member said. Members also sought to know from the ministry various aspects of the recent Maldives-China Free Trade Agreement and increasing proximity between the two nations and its impact on India.
The ministry in its reply said that the relationship between India and Maldives remained close and cordial. It also mentioned about the increasing defence cooperation between the two nations.
The two arch-rivals last participated in a bilateral series in December 2012 when Pakistan visited India for a limited overs series that included three One-Day Internationals (ODI) and two Twenty20 Internationals. India have not played Pakistan in a full bilateral series since 2007 when Pakistan visited India to play five ODIs and a one-off Test match.
However, worsening political ties and intermittent violence on the border have stalled any further bilateral cricket between the two countries. Earlier this year, the BCCI had also urged the ICC not to put the two teams in the same group in global tournaments.
