Pak barking up wrong tree: Krishna

NEW DELHI: A day Islamabad attempted to exploit the decision of IPL franchisees not to buy Pakistani cricketers, an irritated India said it was time that the neighbour drew a distinction between the government and private events.

Rebutting Islamabad’s attempt to blame the government, external affairs minister S M Krishna said the government has nothing to do with IPL and asked Islamabad to draw a line between government and private events. “Government has nothing to do with IPL, on selection of players and various exercises that are connected with it. Pakistan will have to draw a line between where government is connected and where Government of India is an actor,” Mr Krishna said on the sidelines of a FICCI meeting.

Pointing out that visas had been facilitated for players, the government said it was unfortunate that Islamabad was blaming New Delhi for decisions taken at a commercial event and that it was time Islamabad did some introspection for the reasons behind the strain in Indo-Pak ties.

The Pakistani government had attempted to blame the government for non-selection of Pakistani players at the IPL auction with interior minister Rehman Malik stoking nationalist sentiments saying Pakistani players were `insulted’ and accusing India of not being serious about the peace process.

With cricket remaining an emotive issue in the subcontinent, the matter took centre stage in Pakistan. “India or any other country that does not give respect to Pakistan will be treated the same way by us. If there is a desire to improve Indo-Pak friendship, respect should be given to Pakistani sportspersons,” Mr Malik said, warning that Pakistan would respond in a befitting manner. The matter was also discussed in the National Assembly with speaker Fehmida Mirza saying that her country would not send parliamentary delegations to India.

But the Indian government countered the Pakistani allegations by pointing out that MEA had facilitated visas for the Pakistani players so that they could participate in IPL 2010. MEA said that 17 Pakistani cricketers were issued visas at `very short notice’ in December 2009 and January 2010 to participate in IPL 2010 after the Pakistan Cricket Board put in a request to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. Two visas were issued in Islamabad, while three were issued at Wellington in New Zealand and twelve at Sydney in Australia, where the concerned Pakistani cricketers had applied while touring New Zealand and Australia, the MEA said.

The MEA, which facilitated the necessary clearances from other ministries, asked Pakistan to stop blaming India for what happened at the IPL auction and take responsibility for the strain in relations. ``Blaming the government for the absence of Pakistani players from the next edition of IPL is unfortunate. Pakistan should introspect on the reasons which have put a strain on relations between India and Pakistan, and have adversely impacted on peace, stability and prosperity in the region,’’ the MEA said.

Pakistani players participated in the first edition of IPL in 2008 and one Pakistani player had participated in the Champions League T20 tournament held in India in October 2009.

“The participation or absence of Pakistani cricketers in a commercial event of the nature of IPL is, thus, a matter not within the purview of the government,’’ the MEA said. None of the 11 Pakistani players. were bought at the IPL auction by any of the team franchisees.