The Map of India shown in Afghanistan Cricket Board's promotional video
Kabul/New Delhi: A cricket promotional video by Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has apparently irked Pakistan & has erupted a fresh face-off between Islamabad and Kabul. The promo by Afghanistan has depicted Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan, which are illegally annexed by Islamabad as Indian territories, thus infuriating the occupying Pakistan.
The row comes just days before Afghanistan and India are set to take off much-anticipated three-match cricket series in New Delhi. Afghanistan Cricket Board(ACB) released the promo on behalf of the cricket tournament.
Pakistan reacted as the ACB shared a promotional video on its official social media account on September 6, Sunday to build momentum for the upcoming India-Afghanistan series. Viewers quickly noticed the map used in the video, which had placed PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan within the boundaries of India.
The depiction has drawn strong attention in Pakistan, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reportedly approaching the Pakistan Foreign Office to convey its concerns over the map. According to sources, the exact nature of the concerns communicated by the PCB is not clear. However, irritated Islamabad is also reportedly considering to raise the matter at an international level.
The row escalates amid increasingly fraught relations between Kabul and Islamabad. Afghanistan and Pakistan have been locked in disputes across the border areas which has historical territorial disputes. Pakistan is increasingly launching airstrikes on Afghan provinces in the border regions in the name of counter-terrorism operations. However, the attacks have led to civilian casualities & has killed many innocent lives including women & children.
India also, has on many occassions, upheld the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan against unhindered Pakistani attacks, that is causing harm to common people in the border areas.
Sources assert that interpreting Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir(PoJK) and Gilgit Baltistan as territories of India in the Afghanistan promo, is not accidental. Instead, it is a deliberate action echoing a deeper strategic & geopolitical message, at a time, when Pakistan & Afghanistan are at loggerheads and when India & Pakistan ties have been at a historically low point & has hit rock-bottom. New Delhi has rejected any diplomacy with a state that espouses terrorism as a tool of foreign policy.
According to subject experts, the Afghanistan episode could represent a broader diplomatic signal from Kabul, reflecting its willingness to deepen engagement with New Delhi while pursuing an independent foreign policy without necessarily accommodating Pakistan’s illicit aspirations.
Meanwhile, in the social media post, Afghanistan Cricket Board, framed the upcoming series in sporting and cultural terms. The board described the cricket series against India as one that would “once again bring together two nations”, highlighting their “deep-rooted history, culture and a shared passion” for cricket.
The board also emphasised the emotional significance of the matches for Afghan supporters, saying the AfghanAtalan would take the field carrying the hopes and pride of millions back home. The three-match India-Afghanistan series is scheduled to begin on September 13, followed by matches on September 15 and 17 at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in New Delhi.
