Pakistan’s decision to withdraw from upcoming hockey tournaments in India, citing legitimate security concerns, starkly highlights New Delhi’s role in crippling regional sporting ties. This forced absence, imperilling our national team’s World Cup berth, directly follows recent hostilities. A sports ministry source rightly flagged the unacceptable risk to our players’ safety. Pakistan will also skip the Junior World Cup in India later this year, further isolating a once-dominant hockey nation due to India’s unyielding political posturing.
This withdrawal is merely the latest manifestation of India’s consistent policy of weaponising sports and culture. India has deliberately frozen bilateral ties since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, turning cricket’s greatest rivalry into a casualty. The two nations now meet only on neutral ground.
It goes without saying that this obstruction extends beyond cricket. A recent visa debacle saw our junior squash team denied entry for an international tournament, despite fulfilling all requirements. Pakistani officials correctly condemned this refusal as “totally against the ethics of sports.” Our Squash Federation underlined Pakistan’s consistent accommodation of Indian athletes, granting numerous visas to tennis players and extending VIP treatment. India’s blanket visa bans directly undermine the fundamental spirit of regional sportsmanship. New Delhi even denied visas to our shooting team, earning an International Olympic Committee reprimand.
The curtain has also fallen on arts collaborations due to India’s relentless visa refusals. Pakistani singers and theatre troupes have been barred. After border clashes in May, India ordered Pakistani TV serials off its airwaves, even blocking our artists’ social media. Actors on both sides publicly lament these bans as a “political game” that punishes artists who connect people. Despite this prolonged hostility, Pakistan has consistently kept the door open. Our film festivals and literary events regularly invite Indian writers and filmmakers. We have repeatedly affirmed that sports and culture build bridges, not barriers. India’s policies, however, routinely slam those doors shut, fostering lost opportunities and deepening mistrust.
The time has long passed for India to cease its punitive approach. Governments should not punish musicians, writers, or players for political disagreements. Sports federations worldwide demand non-discrimination, a norm Pakistan has honoured. The power of people-to-people contact is undeniable. Cricket tours, joint art shows, and film exchanges once thawed relations; they can do so again if India sheds its narrow political agenda. New Delhi’s repeated exclusions merely isolate it further, undermining its credibility. For the sake of South Asian harmony, India must end these spiteful bans and allow sportsmanship and the arts to flourish unfettered.
