ISLAMABAD: Malik Nasim Ahmad Aheer, Federal Minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism informed the National Assembly that Pakistan would review the question of its participation in Sports with India afresh keeping in view the behavior of spectators against Pakistan cricket team in Ahmadabad March last.
Replying to a number of supplementary Question Hour, the Minister told ‘a questioner that if the same behavior continued in future towards the Pakistani players in India, Pakistan could examine the questioners proposal of doing away with its participation in the cricket tests with India.
The country’s dignity is very dear to us and there will be no compromise on it, the Minister said: Replying to another question, the minister said that protest was lodged with the highest authority in India against the misbehavior of cricket spectators towards the Pakistani team. He, however, hoped that such incidents would not occur in future.
The Minister told the House that during the fourth cricket test match played between India and Pakistan at Ahmadabad from March 4 to 9, 1987, a section of the crowd in the general enclosure and in the main pavilion misbehaved.
While the Pakistani team was fielding, the crowd threw stones and empty bottles on some of the players standing near boundary line. The incidents occurred on the third day of the match, March 7, 1987 and continued on March 8 also. The Pakistan team had to withdraw from the ground on the eighth as there was a risk of serious injury to Pakistani players.
While the Pakistani team retired ‘to the dressing room, the manager of the team lodged a Strong protest with the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the law and order enforcing authorities headed by the Inspector General of Police of Gujarat the Minister said.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 3, 1987
