New Delhi, November 15 (IANS). Regarding the ongoing relations between India and Pakistan, senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has expressed a sharp reaction to the recent visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to Pakistan. In fact, during the meeting with the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Jaishankar had said that he would consider going back to the country to play a cricket match with India and Pakistan. After this statement, a new discussion started regarding the ongoing bitterness in the relations between the two countries, people in Pakistan started feeling that perhaps relations between the two countries could become normal with the playing of cricket.
But, now India has refused this proposal. The Indian cricket team will not go to Pakistan to participate in the Champions Trophy. Now a new debate regarding this has started in India along with Pakistan. Regarding this, while talking to IANS, senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyer also expressed his views and said that it is natural to feel uneasiness in Pakistan due to this denial.
Mani Shankar Aiyar said why did S Jaishankar go to Islamabad and give this statement? Wouldn’t it have been better if he had shown some clarity on this in Pakistan earlier? After raising expectations, when India did not take any positive step in this regard, it was natural for the people of Pakistan to feel uneasy.
Iyer further said that it was clear that such a decision was not going to happen quickly. If Jaishankar had already told Pakistan that we will consider this issue and the result will be the same as before, then perhaps the situation would have been better. But now, when it has been decided that India will not play cricket matches with Pakistan, does it benefit us to raise such expectations and then disappoint them?
Mani Shankar Aiyar also raised the question whether External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar gave a wrong signal to Pakistan, thereby raising hopes among the people of both the countries.
Let us tell you that cricket matches between India and Pakistan have always been a sensitive topic. Cricket relations have also been affected due to the ongoing tension between the two countries. Politicians say that cricket will be played between India and Pakistan only when the relations between the two countries improve.
–IANS
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