Resumption of Indo-Pak cricket ties

When I first heard about the resumption of cricket ties between India and Pakistan I was ecstatic Plans were made with my Pakistani friends to go to India in DecemberJanuary to watch the upcoming IndoPak series three ODIs and two T20s For a Pakistani cricket fan this was a wonderful piece of news but for some Indians it was simply unacceptable On July 17 this newspaper carried a hardhitting editorial titled lsquoIt canrsquot just be fun and games with Pakistanrsquo It was written ldquoIndia suspended all cricketing ties with Pakistan following the horrific attack by Pakistantrained terrorists on November 26 2008 across various carefully chosen targets in Mumbai The attack claimed 169 lives and India should never forget that hellip Even if India and Pakistan would want to restart playing against each other and it is indeed a noble sporting cause the symbolism of suspended ties cannot be discountedrdquo Eat cricket pray cricket It may be a clicheacute yet we cannot deny that cricket is a religion in the subcontinent MiD DAY is not alone in voicing this criticism Many Indian twitterati have also criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in Indiarsquos BCCIrsquos decision to host the Pakistan cricket team on Indian soil With all due respect to MiD DAY and others who support their stance I beg to differ Sports and entertainment have no boundaries When Mehdi Hassan sahib passed away millions of his fans in India mourned his death When Rajesh Khannaji passed away millions of his fans in Pakistan were struck with grief Suspending cricket ties is not going to help resolve anything In fact resuming cricket ties will lead to more camaraderie between the two countries No one can forget the gruesome attack in Mumbai by Pakistani terrorists nobody can just lsquomove onrsquo That is the most insensitive thing to expect from the Indians After 2611 the composite dialogue between India and Pakistan was also suspended Now that both countries are back on talking terms and moving towards normalisation of relations once again inviting the Pakistan cricket team to India is indeed a good symbolic gesture As President Asif Ali Zardari wrote to Indiarsquos Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ldquohellipcricket matches between our two countries would prove to be a formidable confidence building measure CBM and a way forward towards encouraging peopletopeople contactsrdquo It may be a clicheacute yet we cannot deny that cricket is a religion in the subcontinent An IndoPak cricket series anywhere in the world would ensure a packed stadium and millions of viewers glued to their television screens An IndoPak series in either India or Pakistan is even more of a success Many cricket enthusiasts in India are also looking forward to some exciting cricket between the two sides Of course there are people on both sides of the border who have a deepseated dislike for each other Add to it Pakistanrsquos inability andor lack of will to act against terrorists involved in crossborder terrorism Many Pakistanis have demanded that the state should take strict action against terrorists involved in terrorism inside and outside the country It will not just give a closure to the families of the 2611 victims but the people of Pakistan would also benefit if terrorism is eliminated from our soil Fortunately the governments of India and Pakistan realise that suspending dialogue is not a permanent solution Likewise suspending cricket ties is not a means to an end Pakistan and India have already played a match on Indian soil during the 2011 Cricket World Cup It was the most exciting match of the tournament Dialogue and peopletopeople contacts are essential for peace between the two countries Last week PeaceNiche organised the PakistanIndia Social Media Mela 2012 in Karachi Almost all the Indians who attended the social media summit had come to Pakistan for the first time They left with fond memories One of the Indian participants Annie Zaidi tweeted ldquoBack home from the Social Media Mela in Karachi A bit of baggage gained some of it in the heart amp a bit of political baggage lostquot Such is the power of peopletopeople interaction I for one cannot wait for December Herersquos to wishing that there are many more like me on the other side of the border as well The writer is a Pakistani journalist Reach her at mehmalsgmailcomu00a0