Decision to send Pakistan’s cricket team to India not taken in haste: FO

Expressing the hope that team Pakistan would return from India after winning the Cricket World Cup (WC), Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has said that the decision to send the team to India was taken after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s approval, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.

Talking exclusively to 24News, she said that the government of Pakistan was constantly in touch with the Indian government to ensure Babar Azam eleven’s security in the neighbouring country.

She further said that it was after lengthy deliberations that the decision to send the team to India for the mega event was taken. “Since Pakistan’s team is right now the best in the world, therefore, it is necessary to send it to India,” the FO spokesperson said, and added, “Pakistan believes in keeping politics and sports apart.”

Unlike India, Pakistan, Mumtaz went on to say, did not want to use the game for its own objectives.

She recalled that India had not even issued visas to Pakistan’s blind cricket team, which obviously meant linking politics sports with politics.

Reporter: Muhsinul Mulk