‘We Saw What Happened in Pahalgam’: Omar Abdullah’s Big Remark on India–Pakistan Match Row

Cricket matches between India and Pakistan are once again in the spotlight. With the Asia Cup 2025 approaching, demands to boycott the game are growing louder across the country, especially after the recent Pahalgam attack. Amid rising anger, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that India’s objection is mainly to bilateral cricket series with Pakistan, while it is not possible to avoid matches in international tournaments like the Asia Cup.

Omar Abdullah’s Statement

Omar Abdullah said that India’s problem has always been with bilateral cricket matches, not with large international tournaments. He said, “You cannot ignore Pakistan in multilateral competitions. The problem is when we play bilateral series with Pakistan. Referring to the Pahalgam attack, he said that Jammu & Kashmir has borne the brunt of this terror most closely and these concerns are real.

Continuous Opposition from the Opposition Parties

Several opposition parties, including Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) and the Aam Aadmi Party, have strongly objected to the India–Pakistan match in the Asia Cup.
Uddhav Thackeray has announced protest demonstrations in Maharashtra.
Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said that India had resolved to stop dialogue and trade with Pakistan, but by now allowing a cricket match, the government is going back on its own promise.

Aam Aadmi Party’s Displeasure

Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the central government of insulting the victims of the Pahalgam attack. He said that it is a great injustice to the women who lost their husbands in the attack that cricket is being played with the same country. Bharadwaj even warned that his party will expose those restaurants, clubs and pubs which show this match so that people stop going there.

BJP’s Clarification

BJP MP and former Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said that playing in multilateral tournaments like ACC and ICC is a compulsion for all countries. He reiterated that India will not play any bilateral series with Pakistan until terrorist attacks stop. Targeting the opposition, Thakur said that they are doing politics, whereas the truth is that boycotting at the international level is not possible.