Cricket diplomacy expected to help Pakistan-India peace
This tour is a direct result of peace dividend, post 911 policies have destroyed the infrastructure of terrorists that were infiltrating in to Kashmir, the dilly dally attitude of Pakistani administration has completely change, war by ‘extremists thugs’ is been fought and has taken to new urgency. Lot of goodwill has been generated, for last there months cease fire has been observed on LOC in disputed Kashmir territory, for first time the villagers can move about, across River Neelum they can talk to each other, Wagah border has opened up, 10,000 Indian visitors are visiting Lahore from 13th onward, year a go wee had 1 million soldiers facing each other in nuclear brinkmanship, Powell and Bush brought some senses together and asked Pakistanis to come down heavily on Jihadis, since last two attempts on Musharraf it is clear that these Jihadis are like mosquitoes they sit on swamp and move on to next one, their enemy is reason and logic, Mahajourooun, Alqaeda and extremist Hamas all are cancers of our society, they will destroy our nations and those who support them are enemy of our nations. Their is no virtue in condoning death and violence, we are humans and we should resolve our disputes through negotiations, if we are permanently unable to take the right path and our political wrong decision making leads to historical disasters like in case of Palestinians than the leadership like Arafat should quit and make way for new energetic pragmatic leadership that should open up new horizons of co-existence, we in South Asia have realised that our future lies together and in peace, our region is on the verge of making a new break towards prosperity and betterment, we need it badly, we have man power we have productivity and we need this peace building measures that have been recently set up as a direct result of massive political intervention by US state department.
<<Pakistani and Indian cricketers will have to double as diplomats when India arrive for the first play in 15 years, as both sides hope the competition will aid the ongoing peace moves.
The much-anticipated battle between the South Asian powers has whipped up a frenzied mix of sport and nationalism.
But leaders in the two countries, which have fought three wars since independence in 1947, have called for calm amid the rising excitement.
“Victory and defeat is a secondary matter; what is most important is that cricket makes a contribution to fostering peace and friendship,” Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told this agency.
The Indians, led by captain Sourav Ganguly, will play five one-day matches and three Tests against the Pakistani squad led by captain Inzamamul Haq during the tour, due to begin on March 10.
Security concerns and pre-election politics in India clouded the tour at one stage, but Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee finally gave the go-ahead. Encounters on the cricket and hockey fields between the two countries have always reflected their political animosities, but the climate has dramatically changed after mutual confidence-building measures in recent months.
“This will just be a game of cricket; they are not going into war,” Ahmad said, underlining the expected diplomatic gains for peace movement between the two countries. “I am confident the event will boost the unfolding normalization process. The cricket diplomacy will no doubt pay good results in the quest for a new era of peace in relations,” the minister said.
The government has meticulously set the stage, making comprehensive “foolproof” security arrangements in consultation with a four-member Indian delegation that visited Pakistan recently.
A liberalized visa policy has been adopted to enable several thousand Indian fans to watch the matches, many of them expected to avail of the restored bus and air links between the two countries. “This series must go ahead. It must go ahead because the objective of this series is to restore a degree of normalization to India-Pakistani relations,” said Najam Sethi, political analyst and editor of a leading political magazine. dailytimes.com.pk;
Indians will receive a very warm welcome, the enemies of mankind and medieval thugs will try their best to disrupt but hope will win over despair. I will pray every night and you should do that in your Church when you go that enemies of mankind may not be able to disrupt this tour, if one thing that these lunatics can destroy it would be possible peace between Indian and Pakistan, peace and co-existence is death for these lunatics. Mr. Vajpayee and Mr. Mush have taken a big gamble ot put this great show on earth of three test and five one day internationals, much as it is a sporting event it is also an event where extremists megalomaniacs of the earth have their eyes on, the security provided to the players is like head of states, their are five rings of security around the players. The lunatics that we are confronting have no respect for lives their targets are normalcy they grow in war and perpetual conspiracy nod war mongering is their utmost desire, tyrants are their Caliphs and bloodsucking devils look for every chance to destroy amity and efforts to bring nations together, this show is the best way to bring the people of the two nations together, it is also the biggest risk since disruption of this event or any unforeseen incident may result into war in our region also, on one hand is hope and on the other fears, but we cannot remain hostage to fears and hatred, this gamble will definitely bring the two nations together. Amen |
