NEW DELHI: The Sports Ministry has introduced a policy clarifying India's stand against Pakistan. The policy states that bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan will not be held, though India will continue to participate in international events. Additionally, teams from Pakistan will not be allowed to compete bilaterally in India.
The ministry's move ensures that India's upcoming Asia Cup clash on September 14 in Dubai will go ahead as scheduled, ending all suspense over the status of the high-octane encounter.
"India's approach to sports events involving Pakistan reflects its overall policy in dealing with that country," states the Sports Ministry policy.
"In so far as bilateral sports events in each other’s country are concerned, Indian teams will not be participating in competitions in Pakistan. Nor will we permit Pakistani teams to play in India," it added.
"We will not stop Indian cricket team from playing in Asia Cup as it is multilateral," the ministry source said.
"But Pakistan will not be allowed on Indian soil for bilateral competitions. But we will not stop them from multilateral events as we will abide by Olympic Charter," he added.
The debate over India's participation had been ongoing since the Asia Cup schedule was announced last month, with tensions escalating further after the Pahalgam terror attack in April.
At one point, speculation was rife that India's withdrawal might even lead to the tournament's cancellation, before the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) put an end to the uncertainty with an official announcement in late July.
