Information Minister Slams India for Mixing Politics with Cricket, Reiterates Stance Against Terrorism

Islamabad: Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar has criticized India for bringing politics into cricket, saying that nations lacking dignity resort to such behavior.

Speaking to reporters after chairing the first meeting of the National Peace Message Committee, Tarar remarked: *“They lost six jets, lost the war, and now they say they won’t shake hands in cricket. When a nation suffers moral decline, it drags politics into sports. True sportsmanship should prevail regardless of circumstances.”*

When asked whether the ICC had accepted Pakistan’s demand to remove the match referee, Tarar responded: *“That is something Mohsin Naqvi can clarify better. In my view, the match referee should not have acted that way—he should have remained neutral. The PCB will decide the next course of action.”*

On the issue of terrorism, the information minister emphasized that facilitators of terrorists are equally guilty: *“Whoever shelters a terrorist is also a terrorist. Our nation has sacrificed 90,000 lives. Whether facilitators belong to political or religious groups, they will be held accountable.”*

He added that terrorists have no religion: *“Those who target schoolchildren or harm Pakistan and its state are enemies of humanity. There is consensus that their facilitators are terrorists too, and peace will ultimately prevail.”*

Would you like me to also prepare a **separate headline and short piece focused only on his remarks about terrorism**, apart from the cricket comments?