Pakistan's weightlifting team has threatened to pull out of the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games after a verbal spat with their contingent leader over carrying their national flag at the grand opening ceremony in New Delhi.

Sheikh Rashid, weightlifting team coach, told Dawn from New Delhi that Shujauddin Malik, who is a gold medallist in weightlifting, was to carry the flag and lead the national contingent at the opening ceremony at Jawaharlal Nehru stadium.

However, at the last moment, Muhammad Ali Shah, who heads the Pakistan contingent, said that he would be carrying the nation flag.