After Indian cricket players declined to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts during their most recent Asia Cup 2025 encounter, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar criticized India on Tuesday for introducing politics into sports.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), Tarar stated, “When you [India] can’t win in the military field, a nation which is morally bankrupt and which has no values will always resort to this kind of theatrics in sports.”
“They’re trying to politicize cricket,” the minister said, characterizing the action as an unsuccessful attempt to avoid humiliation following the military defeat against Pakistan in the May war, in which Pakistan’s jets were shot down and New Delhi’s were as well.
