Pak may block hockey, squash teams' India tour

Karachi:

Miffed with India's decision to cancel its cricket team's tour here, Pakistan's sports ministry may block its national hockey and squash teams' visit to India.

Pakistani sports minister Pir Aftab Shah Jillani made it clear he was not in favour of sending teams to India if "they didn't want to send their cricket team to Pakistan."

"Pakistan has never wanted to mix sports with politics. But unfortunately India is doing this. And if they want to do this then I dont see any point in our teams going to India at this time," Jillani said.

He said sporting ties with India needed to be reviewed in the changed circumstances. The Pakistan hockey and squash teams are awaiting clearance from the sports ministry to go to India for scheduled events.

While the hockey team is due to play a double league tournament in Chandigarh and Jallandher in late January, the squash team will take part in the Asian Junior Championships in Chennai from January 16.

"We are waiting for clearance from the sports ministry. Until we don't know for sure what the position is we can't even send in our confirmations to the organisers of the event," an official of the Pakistan Squash Federation said.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation President Qasim Zia also made it clear that if the government made a policy decision of not having sporting ties with India then the hockey team would not go there.

"We really want to play this event in India and we are preparing for it accordingly. But if our government says we can't go we will not go," Zia, an elected member of the ruling Pakistan People's Party, said in a statement.