News Desk |
Federal Minister for Human Rights, Dr. Shireen Mazari had asked the International Cricket Council if it would impose a ban on international cricket in New Zealand similar to Pakistan.
Dr. Mazari stated that the world and International Cricket Council closed the door of international cricket to Pakistan after a terrorist attack on Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009. She moaned that Pakistan and its people suffered a lot as they were deprived of enjoying the sport of cricket in their own country. Also, the ban stigmatized Pakistan as an ‘unsafe country’ for foreigners internationally.
“I am not suggesting NZ be denied intl cricket but asking if ICC will use the same yardstick they used for Pakistan to stop int cricket in Pak, making entire nation suffer and it continues,” wrote Shireen Mazari in a tweet.
Earlier in the morning, a gunman attacked Muslim worshippers in a mosque in New Zealand killing 50 and badly injuring 20 more. Bangladesh cricket team, which in New Zealand on a tour, was about to reach the same mosque when the shooting occurred, but it returned back to their hotel timely and safely.
Shireen Mazari asked if ICC hold same standards for New Zealand in a tweet. She stated that the cricket team of Bangladesh narrowly escaped the attack. She further asked what actions would be taken against New Zealand.
Read more: NZ terror attack: PM Khan calls it ‘Islamophobic’
After the backlash from netizen who criticized the timings of Mazari’s tweet, calling it insensitive of a human rights minister, Mazari deleted the tweet.
“I am not suggesting NZ be denied intl cricket but asking if ICC will use the same yardstick they used for Pakistan to stop int cricket in Pak, making entire nation suffer and it continues,” wrote Shireen Mazari in a tweet.
Though a few minutes later Shireen Mazari deleted her tweets she persisted to question the reluctance of the New Zealand government to label it an outright act of terrorism and not mere violence.
Read more: ‘Multiple fatalities’ as gunman targets New Zealand mosques
She stated that “OK I realize my tweets on cricket NZ and ICC though valid were badly timed so have deleted them. But what is disturbing is seeing NZ police tweets still not referring to the #ChristchurchMosqueAttack as “terrorism” – simply referring to this terrorism an act of violence.”
OK I realize my tweets on cricket NZ and ICC though valid were badly timed so have deleted them. But what is disturbing is seeing NZ police tweets still not referring to the #ChristchurchMosqueAttack as "terrorism" – simply referring to this terrorism as act of violence.
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) March 15, 2019
She even lashed out at Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Twitter for placing the incident under the category of violence and not a terrorist act by Islamophobics in their country.
Call it what it is: an act of terrorism against the Muslim community and their place of worship. https://t.co/45NIlngk0J
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) March 15, 2019