LAHORE: Cricket fans in the South Asian country won’t be able to watch the Pakistan-England series as Pakistan rejected a proposal to liaise with an Indian broadcaster for a live telecast of the upcoming cricket series following the revocation of Article 370 in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that the incumbent government dismissed the request made by state-owned television to liaise with Indian broadcasters for live-streaming of the upcoming Pak-England cricket series in Pakistan.
Speaking at a national presser after a cabinet meeting, former Federal Minister for Science and Technology said that ‘Pakistan Television’s request for a contract with Indian broadcasters Star and Asia, who have the rights to air the match, was rejected.
Chaudhry went on to say that ‘Indian companies hold the rights to broadcast matches in South Asia and PTI-led government cannot conduct business with any Indian company. Pakistan will not engage in any business deal with India until the restoration of the occupied Kashmir’s original status which BJP unilaterally trashed earlier in 2019’, he warned.
Fawad further added that Pakistan will look at alternate options, including approaching the England Cricket Board besides foreign companies to secure broadcasting rights. He also mentioned that the PTV and Pakistan Cricket Board are the ones who bore the brunt of the financial losses.
On the other hand, former PCB Chairman and celebrated journalist, Najam Sethi, slammed the government’s decision for not broadcasting the upcoming series. The series has nothing to do with Kashmir’s status, Sethi said while adding that the cancellation would be because the national TV is not ready to pay what the Indian broadcasters are demanding to telecast the series in Pakistan.
The famed talk show host, who is famous to get inside news with his Chirya, stated that the government move is absolutely staged with political factors. He further narrated that Kashmir’s rhetoric is being used by the government to reduce the amount being demanded by the broadcaster.
Matters pertaining to telecasts of any international cricket series involving Pakistan never needed any approval from the cabinet back in the day as state TV always aired the matches involving the national team playing anywhere around the globe, he added.
Many reports in news publications cited that PTV had to pay the arrears of the past six years to the Indian broadcaster that has broadcasting rights of the series.
Meanwhile, desi cricket fans got miffed by the recent move from the Imran Khan-led government as they believed that the decision is not about to make any change to the Kashmir status but only to deprive the cricket-loving nation of its favorite sports.
Experts believe the cause of the haphazard situation occurred due to a lack of forethought by incumbent authorities as they relied on buying rights at the last minute instead of sorting them out in advance.
Meanwhile, the cricket series between Pakistan and England is scheduled to start on July 8.
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