Kashmir cricketers arrested for donning Pakistan colours

Published
59
A grab from the video clip shows players listening to Pakistan’s national anthem just before  the match.
A grab from the video clip shows players listening to Pakistan’s national anthem just before the match.

KARACHI: A group of youths of India-held Kashmir were detained on Wednesday after a video clip went viral on social media which showed them playing a cricket match wearing the green uniform of Pakistan’s national team, sources said.

The clip went viral after the Kashmir Media Service uploaded it along with a news report on its website.

Ghulam Hassan Bhat, the deputy inspector general of police for Central Kashmir, said the cricketers had been detained for questioning. “The boys are in the police station.”

Examine: Is pro-Pakistan sentiment in Kashmir still alive?

Security was beefed up as residents gathered near the police station, demanding immediate release of the 11 players, who reportedly represent a cricket club in the Kalmul area of held Kashmir’s Ganderbal region.

The video clip shows a scenic location surrounded by mountains, which the portal identified as Wayil playground in Ganderbal.

Sources said the video was from a match played between two teams, one representing Pakistan and the other India.

“National anthems of both countries were played, like in any international match,” clarified a Ganderbal resident who didn’t wish to be named.

The sources said the match was played on April 2, the day Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the disputed Himalayan region.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2017

Opinion

Editorial

Muddled hierarchy
Updated 15 Nov, 2026

Muddled hierarchy

The jurisdiction of the two courts and a mechanism for settling disputes between them should be spelt out in law, not left to judges to fight over.
Growing crisis
15 Nov, 2026

Growing crisis

AN emergency can be judged by the speed with which it draws an effective response. The National Population Council’s...
Organised rackets
15 Nov, 2026

Organised rackets

ON the International Day against Transnational Organised Crime, observed today, Pakistan finds itself in a tight...
Referendum talk
Updated 14 Nov, 2026

Referendum talk

Unless the PPP is deliberately using Sindh as a bargaining chip, it should issue a clarification with a clear, consistent position on new administrative units, not one tailored to protect its home turf.
Mineral wealth
Updated 14 Nov, 2026

Mineral wealth

Minerals should not be presented as a solution to Pakistan’s long-term economic difficulties. The aim should be to build an industrial base rather than export raw materials.
Late diagnosis
14 Nov, 2026

Late diagnosis

AS we mark World Diabetes Day today, Pakistan faces a troubling question: how many people are living with diabetes...