NEW DELHI: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has ruled out the possibility of resumption of cricketing ties with Pakistan, citing cross-border terrorism and the frequent exchange of firing at the Line of Control as the reason, the Times of India has reported.
Swaraj said this to Parliament’s consultative committee on external affairs during a meeting, which was also attended by minister of state for external affairs MJ Akbar and foreign secretary S Jaishankar.
“The high number of cross-border firings did not set the tone for engagements such as a cricket series,” Swaraj was quoted as saying.
The minister was replying to a query on whether restarting the long-suspended cricket exchange could be an option for easing tensions between the two countries.
Swaraj’s remarks would not bring any joy for the Pakistan Cricket Board which, in November, sent a legal notice to its Indian counterpart, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, seeking up to $70 million in damages for failing to play two contractually agreed upon bilateral series.
