NEW DELHI: India has called off its planned cricket tour of Pakistan next year amid simmering tension between the nuclear-armed neighbors over last month's Mumbai attacks, an official said on Thursday."The proposed tour of the Indian cricket team to Pakistan stands cancelled," Rajeev Shukla, a senior official from the Board of Control for Cricket in India, told reporters.India has blamed Islamist militants based in Pakistan for last months attacks in India's financial heart which killed at least 179 people.The Jan. 13-Feb. 19 tour was to have involved three tests, five one-day games and a Twenty20 international, but required government approval."Taking into account the recent developments as well as the overall circumstances prevailing at present, it is not considered feasible to ask government permission for the proposed tour," Shukla said.U.S. and British officials have joined New Delhi in calling Pakistan to do more to stamp out militant groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, which they blame for the Mumbai attacks, from operating its soil.They have also urged restraint from India in its response to the attack and offered help in investigations as well as in the fight against militancy in both countries, which have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947.
News Source:http://thearynews.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment