AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has joined the growing Opposition outcry against the upcoming India-Pakistan match in the Asia Cup 2025, expressing strong reservations about engaging with Pakistan on the cricket field so soon after the Pahalgam terror attack.
Scheduled for September 14, the high-profile group stage clash — part of the Asia Cup tournament set to begin on September 9 — is already drawing political fire. The match rekindles cricket’s fiercest rivalry but is facing calls for a boycott over Pakistan’s continued links to cross-border terrorism.
Speaking during a special discussion on Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha, Owaisi questioned the government’s rationale for allowing the game to go ahead.
“When Pakistan’s aircraft cannot enter our airspace, their boats are barred from our waters, trade is suspended, and we’ve cut off 80% of their water — how can we justify playing a cricket match with them?” Owaisi asked. “My conscience does not allow me to watch that match.”
He further challenged the symbolic value of Operation Sindoor, asking whether the government could face the families of the 25 victims of the April 22 Pahalgam attack and claim that allowing the match amounts to justice.
Owaisi is part of the government’s outreach following Operation Sindoor, which targeted multiple terror hubs inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, killing over 100 terrorists.
The political backlash comes amid similar moves by other leaders. Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi slammed the scheduling of the match, accusing the government of prioritising profits over the sacrifices of Indian civilians and soldiers.
“Stop making profits over the blood of Indians and our Armed Forces,” she said. “On one hand, the CDS says Operation Sindoor is ongoing; on the other hand, you rush to earn your blood money.”
Tensions around the India-Pakistan sporting engagement have escalated in recent weeks. Earlier this month, an India-Pakistan match in the World Championship of Legends — a tournament of retired players in England — was cancelled after Indian cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Shikhar Dhawan withdrew in protest of the Pahalgam attack.
The Asia Cup 2025 will feature eight teams, with India and Pakistan likely to meet again in the Super Four stage — and potentially a third time in the final, should both teams qualify.