News Desk |
India’s World Cup encounter with Sri Lanka on Saturday was hijacked when banners reading “Justice for Kashmir” and “India stop genocide & free Kashmir” were flown over Headingley.
https://twitter.com/iShiningPearl/status/1147470406338654208
This is the second incident of such a nature that has occurred in England and Wales. Earlier, a banner was flown across the same ground in Leeds, during Pakistan’s World Cup clash with Afghanistan.
The International Cricket Council are extremely disappointed by the blatant politicization of the game and demand strict action against the perpetrators of such protests.
The aircraft emerged minutes after the India Sri Lanka match commenced, carrying the banner, reading: “Justice for Kashmir”.
https://twitter.com/post_islamabad/status/1147465450177073152
For over the past thirty years, Indian-occupied Kashmir has been gripped with violence and Indian brutality, causing the deaths of more than 70,000 civilians, unlawful arrests, brutal search and cordon operations, enforced disappearances, undocumented rapes and more. The people of Kashmir have been protesting for their mandated right for freedom, as per the resolution of the UNSC.
Plane flies over Headingley with 'Justice for Kashmir' banner
“We are incredibly disappointed this has happened again,” says ICC. pic.twitter.com/FEOFWIy9tU
— Sports of Pak (@SportsOfPak) July 6, 2019
Addressing the incident in a press statement, the International Cricket Council said, “We are incredibly disappointed this has happened again. We do not condone any sort of political messages at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.”
The statement added, “Throughout the tournament, we have worked with local police forces around the country to prevent this type of protests from occurring. After the previous incident, we were assured by West Yorkshire Police that there would not be a repeat of this issue, so we are very dissatisfied it has happened again.”
Read more: Publicity for separatists: Political propaganda at Pakistan-Afghan match
Only last week, the same incident occurred in the Pakistan and Afghanistan match, when an aircraft carrying a banner saying “Justice for Balochistan” was flown above the ground. It triggered clashes between fans from the two countries, prompting the local police to step in and diffuse tensions.
The authorities of the International Cricket Council are extremely disappointed by the blatant politicization of the game and demand strict action against the perpetrators of such protests.