Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 29: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has voiced strong opposition to the much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, citing national sentiment and the tragic aftermath of the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
While the high-octane group stage fixture is scheduled for September 14 — marking one of cricket’s most awaited rivalries — Owaisi’s statement in the Lok Sabha during a special discussion on Operation Sindoor has stirred political debate. "My conscience does not allow me to watch the match," Owaisi declared on the Parliament floor, questioning the moral standing of engaging in a cricket match with Pakistan just months after 25 innocent lives were lost in a brutal terrorist attack.
Owaisi drew a stark comparison: “When we are not even allowing Pakistan’s aircraft into our airspace, nor their boats into our waters, when trade has stopped, and we are withholding 80% of their water with the sentiment that blood and water cannot flow together — how can we justify playing cricket with them?”
The Hyderabad MP also challenged the government’s moral compass, stating, “If you have the courage, go and tell the families of those 25 people that Operation Sindoor was enough and now it’s okay to watch a cricket match with Pakistan.”
The Asia Cup 2025, featuring eight teams, will commence on September 9, with India and Pakistan poised to face off in the group stage. With both teams likely to reach the Super Four stage — and potentially the final — cricket fans might witness the arch-rivals clash up to three times.
However, the political backlash is intensifying. Recently, a similar match between retired Indian and Pakistani players in England’s World Championship of Legends was cancelled after Indian legends Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Shikhar Dhawan withdrew in protest over the April 22 Pahalgam tragedy.
Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi too lashed out, saying, “You cannot profit over the blood of our people and soldiers. On one hand, the CDS speaks of an ongoing Operation Sindoor, while on the other hand, there’s a rush to make money from matches with Pakistan.”
The April terror attack had left 25 civilians and a local pony ride operator dead. In retaliation, Indian forces struck nine major terror hubs deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, eliminating over 100 terrorists.
As the Asia Cup approaches, a cloud of controversy looms over the India-Pakistan fixture, with many questioning whether resuming sporting ties with Pakistan is an insult to those who lost their lives.