Commenting on the decision to boycott the match against India in the T20 World Cup, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that there “should be no politics in sports”.
He made the remarks while addressing the federal cabinet in Islamabad. The remarks were televised.
“We have taken a clear stand regarding the T20 World Cup that we will not play the match against India,” he said.
“There should be no politics in sports,” he said. “We have taken this stand after deliberating on it carefully,” he said, calling it an “appropriate decision”.
It should be noted that the government on Sunday gave the cricket team the nod to participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, but said the Green Shirts would not play their match with arch-rivals India, scheduled to be held on Feb 15 in Colombo.
The development came after Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the tournament amid tensions with India, which is one of the co-hosts of the T20 World Cup.
At the start of his address, PM Shehbaz began by talking about the attacks in Balochistan.
“Within three to four days, 180 terrorists were sent to hell,” he said. “As a result, 17 personnel embraced martyrdom. Similarly, 31 civilians were martyred.”
He added that a “heartbreaking incident” took place in Gwadar, where five women and children were martyred.
“These people (terrorists) are not human,” the premier said.
PM Shehbaz said that the nation would never forget the sacrifice of security forces and that since Marka-i-Haq – the name for Pakistan’s brief military conflict against India last year – Pakistan’s “hostile eastern neighbour” and other khawarij were conspiring against the country’s progress and prosperity.
Khawarij is a term used by the state to designate members of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
“God willing, this will not happen. We will completely eradicate terrorism and Pakistan will find success on the path of progress,” PM Shehbaz vowed.
He added that the nation should remember how terrorists killed women, children and people who were trying to work.
“It is a terrible incident and the whole nation is mourning, but it is standing with its law enforcement agencies and the Pakistan armed forces,” the premier added.
“The day will come when these sacrifices will be worthwhile and the scourge of terrorism will be erased from this country.”
Switching gears and discussing the tensions in Iran, PM Shehbaz emphasised that Pakistan has played a “brotherly role”.
“Myself, the deputy prime minister and the field marshal met the Iranian leadership on multiple occasions and we had telephone conversations,” he outlined. “We had several discussions and played our brotherly role as best we could.”
The premier expressed the hope that through dialogue, a peaceful path would emerge leading to regional peace.
Speaking about Kashmir Day on February 5 (today), PM Shehbaz said that the nation, from Peshawar to Karachi, would express solidarity with freedom movements within the Indian-occupied territory.
“The people will express their passionate devotion to Kashmir in different cities,” the premier said. “I personally will be heading to Azad Kashmir today and we will convey a message of solidarity on behalf of the whole nation.”
PM Shehbaz then spoke about his meeting with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
“I called him the day he was elected and assured him that he would have the full support of the Centre, regardless of whatever party he belongs to,” the premier recounted.
“I told him that Pakistan comes before the party and that he is the chief minister of an important, beautiful province where the people are proud Pakistanis and brave. They have also sacrificed much.”
The premier noted that during the 2010 National Finance Commission (NFC) award, Rs800 billion was allocated to KP for counter-terrorism, security and policing.
“I told him that we gave this money under the NFC, but we have yet to see the results,” he said. “I said that the Safe City project remains incomplete, but he assured me that he intends to complete it. “I spoke to him again, and he mentioned that some payments have been delayed,” the premier added.
“I immediately tasked [Planning Minister] Ahsan Iqbal, the finance minister and the finance secretary to meet him (KP CM) and, wherever there are delays in payments, to resolve them,” he said.