Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan, while strongly condemning the Indian government for mounting pressure and threatening international players coming to Muzaffarabad to participate in the Kashmir Premier League and vicious propaganda against the KPL, has warned the rulers in New Delhi to refrain from politicising the sports activities.
In an interview with the Pakistan national broadcasting channel on Tuesday, he said that with the slogan of "Play with Freedom", we have invited international cricketers to play matches in Muzaffarabad under the KPL but India pressurising the players not to go to AJK.
India, Masood said, must give up the policy of mounting pressure on every organisation.
He asserted that India appears scared of the word "freedom" or it considers all organisations of the world as it’s subservient. "India has imposed curbs on freedom of speech in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and it has a misconception that it would dictate every country and the world organisation in the same way," he added.
Also read: Pressuring Gibbs not to participate in KPL strongly condemnable: Fawad
The AJK president said that the KPL matches will be played in Muzaffarabad and the international players will take part in the league and the world community will witness differences between the situation in Azad Kashmir and occupied Kashmir.
"India seems afraid that the KPL tournament would expose its oppression and the real situation of freedom and basic rights enjoyed by the people of Azad Kashmir would come to light."
He also advised the Indian rulers that if they consider everything good and that no human rights violations are taking place in occupied Kashmir, they should allow the international media and the human rights organisations to visit occupied Kashmir, and see the ground situation there.
“Tyranny and cricket cannot go together. India thinks the cricket boards of England, Africa, and Sri Lanka are its vassal entities in IIOJK. They are not; they will play cricket so would Kashmir Premier League,” Masood.
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