Cricket series unlikely till Pak stops terrorism, says Sushma

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has hinted that any bilateral cricket series between India and Pakistan is unlikely unless Pakistan stops cross-border terrorism and firing. Sushma said this to Parliament’s consultative committee on external affairs during a meeting, which was also attended by Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar.

During the meeting, Sushma also said that she had met Pakistan’s envoy to India and proposed to him that both countries release the prisoners who are above 70 years of age or women or of unsound mind as part of humanitarian aspect of the relationship, a member who was present in the meeting said.

The agenda of the meeting was ‘Relationship with the Neighbourhood’. Responding to a query on India-Pakistan cricket series on a neutral venue, the external affairs minister hinted that it seemed unlikely until Pakistan stopped cross-border terrorism and firing, the member said. She clarified that terrorism and cricket can’t go hand in hand, the member said.