The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday refused to urgently list a
plea seeking cancellation of the cricket match between India and Pakistan in
the upcoming Asia Cup. The match is scheduled for September 14 at Dubai
International Cricket Stadium.
A Bench comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi
questioned the urgency of the petition. “What is the urgency? It's a match, let
it be. Match is this Sunday, what can be done?” the Bench observed.
The counsel for the petitioners requested that the plea be heard
on Friday, warning that it would become infructuous if not taken up before the
game. The Bench, however, maintained, “Match is this Sunday? What can we do
about that? Let it be. Match should go on.”
The plea was filed by one Urvashi
Jain and three other law students, who argued that holding a cricket match with
Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor sends a message
contrary to national dignity and public sentiment.
"Cricket between nations is
meant to show harmony and friendship. But after the Pahalgam terror attack and
Operation Sindoor, when our people died and our soldiers risked everything,
playing with Pakistan sent the opposite message that while our soldiers are
sacrificing their lives, we are celebrating sports with the same country
sheltering terrorists," the plea said.
It added that the match could hurt
the sentiments of families of victims who lost their lives to Pakistani
terrorists and added, “The dignity of the nation and security of citizens come
before entertainment.”
The petition also claimed that playing the match would be
“detrimental to the national interests” and morale of the armed forces and the
country.
The plea further noted that the Board of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI) operates like “a nation within a nation” and is insensitive to
national problems, calamities, and public sorrow. It highlighted that under the
National Sports Governance Act, 2025, BCCI does not qualify as a National
Sports Federation (NSF) and should be under the jurisdiction of the National
Sports Board (NSB).
The petitioners emphasised that ongoing operations against
terror bases in Pakistan and continuous infiltration in Kashmir make holding
the match inappropriate. "Our armed forces have been carrying out day
& night search operations fighting the infiltrators from Pakistan, our
soldiers are sacrificing their lives and citizens too falling prey to the
bullets of Pakistan-sponsored terrorists," it said.
Despite these concerns, the SC refused to entertain the request
for an urgent hearing, allowing the India-Pakistan Asia Cup clash to go ahead
as planned.