- Information Minister Tarar says the ICC did not offer any independent verification.
- “The ‘echo chamber’ of the notes formed as ICC and ACB repeat the same statement.”
- He points to recurring “avoidable disputes” under the leadership of the ICC.
Pakistan on Sunday condemned recent statements by the International Cricket Council (ICC), calling them selective, biased and premature, and warning that such narratives risk politicizing the sport and undermining trust in global cricket governance.
“Pakistan, a major victim of cross-border terrorism, rejects the ICC’s selective, biased and premature comment making a controversial allegation, as established, that three ‘Afghan cricketers’ were killed in an ‘airstrike’,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Ataullah Tarar said in an X post.
“The ICC has not cited any independent verification to substantiate these claims,” the minister said, adding: “Pakistan strongly rejects the characterization, disputes the ICC’s claim and calls for an immediate correction.”
“We also observed a concerning pattern of amplification without any attempt at evidence collection.
“Within hours of the ICC’s publication, its president, Jay Shah, publicly echoed the same claim about
This sequencing is an attempt to fabricate a supposed echo chamber, according to Tarar.
“This episode follows a pattern of avoidable controversies under the current ICC leadership that have sought to disproportionately affect Pakistan cricket, including the recent ‘handshake controversy’ that delayed Pakistan’s Asia Cup match until a resolution was found.
Saying that these incidents have eroded confidence in the ICC’s neutrality, the Information Minister stressed that a global regulator must not appear to be pushing any biased narrative, nor allow controversies over match management to be repeated.
“Pakistan has consistently maintained that politics should not contaminate sport, especially cricket, and urges the ICC to uphold its independence and the spirit of the game.
Tarar warned that the ICC should refrain from definitive attributions, avoid certifying unverified claims at the behest of others, refrain from allowing certain actors to obtain political benefits, and uphold impartial standards regardless of the nationality of officials.
“Pakistan hopes that the ICC, led by its current president, who happens to be from India, will restore its neutrality, its international standards of fair play and impartial conduct and address the potential precedent, perhaps a world first, involving a sports regulator in narratives linked to violent extremists.”
precision hits
Tarar confirmed on Saturday that Pakistan carried out “precision strikes” last night against verified camps of the banned Gul Bahadur group in the border areas of North and South Waziristan districts.
“In these precision attacks, [a] minimum [of] 60-70 Kharjis [terrorists] and its leaders have been sent to hell, according to confirmed intelligence reports,” the federal minister wrote in X.
The two neighboring nations are witnessing heightened tensions amid the Afghan Taliban regime’s reluctance to act against terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil, against the backdrop of increasing terror attacks in Pakistan.
Taliban forces and Indian-backed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), alias Fitna al-Khawarij, resorted to an unprovoked attack on Pakistan on October 12.
The Pakistan Armed Forces gave an adequate response to the aggression, killing more than 200 Afghan Taliban and affiliated militants in a self-defense action. The army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said 23 soldiers embraced martyrdom in clashes with Taliban forces and terrorists.
A temporary truce between the neighbors, which Pakistan agreed to at Afghanistan’s request, on Oct. 15 ended days of fierce fighting that killed dozens and wounded hundreds.
However, Tarar — in today’s post — noted that during the 48-hour ceasefire, militants affiliated with the Khawarij group and operating from Afghanistan attempted multiple terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.
He said all such attempts were effectively thwarted by the country’s security forces.
Meanwhile, he said, security forces responded effectively, eliminating more than 100 militants affiliated with the Khawarij group.
No civilian casualties
The Information Minister claimed that militants from the former Gul Bahadur faction of the Khawarij group carried out a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (IED) attack in North Waziristan.
“The attack led to the martyrdom of a soldier and several civilians, while several others were injured,” he added.
He also refuted allegations of civilian casualties as “baseless,” noting that they appear to be part of a deliberate effort to generate sympathy for terrorist groups operating from within Afghanistan.
Ceasefire reached
However, later Saturday night, Qatar announced that Pakistan and Afghanistan had reached a historic ceasefire agreement, marking a possible breakthrough in efforts to restore peace and stability along their troubled border.
The ceasefire agreement is expected to lay a solid foundation for lasting peace in the region, according to Qatari officials.
Both countries have also agreed to hold more meetings in the coming days and establish a permanent mechanism to ensure peace and stability between them.
Confirming the agreement, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif expressed hope that the ceasefire would end border tensions between the two countries.
