Pakistan lashes out at ICC for "biased" statement in solidarity with Afghanistan
Lahore (PTI): Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information, Ata Tarar has dismissed the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s statement on the deaths of three cricketers in Afghanistan for its “selective”, “biased” nature.
The ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had on Saturday condoled the death of Afghanistan cricketers in an aerial attack at the Paktika Province without mentioning Pakistan in their respective statements.
The governing bodies reacted after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) decided to withdraw its team from a tri-series in Pakistan next month.
Pakistan Cricket Board had later announced that it will replace Afghanistan with Zimbabwe for the tri-series that also involves Sri Lanka.
“We dismiss and condemn this statement by the ICC which gives the impression and makes claims that three Afghan cricketers were killed in Pakistan strikes,” Tarar said in a statement on Sunday.
“The ICC has not bothered to independently verify the claims by the Afghanistan board and issued a statement claiming a Pakistan attack,” he said.
The minister said Pakistan itself had been a victim of terrorism for years and demanded the ICC correct its statement.
“It is strange that a few hours after the ICC statement, the Chairman of the ICC Jay Shah repeated the same words on his social media account and the Afghanistan board followed with similar words.
“The Afghanistan board made statements without presenting any real evidence,” he added.
Several Afghan cricketers, including stars such as Rashid Khan and Gulbadin Naib, had condemned the aerial attack and the subsequent deaths in strong language through their social media posts on Saturday.
Tarar said the recent happenings, including the no-handshake episode in the recent Asia Cup, could be taken as a biased approach towards Pakistan cricket.
“This seriously raises questions on the ICC’s independence and unbiased approach. An international sports governing body should not be promoting a controversial claim yet to be verified.
“The ICC should remain independent and avoid making contentious statements on the incitement of others,” he said.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
