Asia Cup in limbo after India-Pakistan conflict

Pakistan and Indian fans wave their national flags during the ICC men's Twenty20 World Cup 2022 cricket match between India and Pakistan at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne on October 23, 2022. (AFP/File)
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Updated 03 June 2025
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Asia Cup in limbo after India-Pakistan conflict

  • India are scheduled to host T20 Asia Cup tournament in September this year
  • Strained ties worsened after intense fighting between India, Pakistan in May

NEW DELHI, India: This year’s Asia Cup hangs in the balance following the recent clashes between tournament hosts India and arch-rivals Pakistan.

Already-soured relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors further worsened after four days of intense fighting before a ceasefire was announced last month.

India are scheduled to host the Asia Cup, a flagship event of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), in September but uncertainty lingers over the T20 tournament.

“To be honest, we have had no discussions within the board about the Asia Cup,” a top official of the Indian cricket board (BCCI) told Reuters on Tuesday, refusing to confirm whether the tournament will go ahead as scheduled.

“We have been busy with the Indian Premier League and then we have India’s tour of England. These are our immediate concerns,” he added.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was not forthcoming about its team’s participation in the tournament in India either.

“We will cross that bridge when we come to it,” the PCB told Reuters in a statement.

ACC president Mohsin Naqvi, who also heads the PCB, was not available to comment.

The ACC on Monday announced the postponement of the women’s Emerging Asia Cup, which was due to begin on Friday, citing weather conditions and the spread of the viral disease chikungunya in host nation Sri Lanka.

India will host the women’s 50-overs World this year but Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka under an arrangement made by the International Cricket Council.

India refused to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy this year and played all their matches, including the March 9 final, in Dubai.

Bilateral cricket has been suspended since 2013 between the Asian neighbors, who play each other only in multi-team events.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir is against playing Pakistan even in neutral venues but will follow whatever the BCCI decided, he said last month.


Pakistan Navy seizes $3 million of narcotics in Arabian Sea under regional security patrol

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Pakistan Navy seizes $3 million of narcotics in Arabian Sea under regional security patrol

  • Official statement says the haul was made during an anti-narcotics operation conducted by PNS Yamama
  • Seizure comes after a record haul of nearly $972 million was reported in the North Arabian Sea in October

KARACHI: Pakistan Navy said on Sunday a patrol vessel operating in the Arabian Sea had seized 1,500 kg of narcotics, the latest interdiction under a regional maritime security deployment aimed at curbing illicit activity along key shipping routes.

The operation took place under the Regional Maritime Security Patrol (RMSP), a Pakistan-led initiative that deploys naval assets across the Arabian Sea and adjoining waters to deter smuggling, piracy and other non-traditional security threats.

The framework combines independent patrols with coordination involving regional and international partners.

“Pakistan Navy Ship Yamama, while deployed on Regional Maritime Security Patrol in the Arabian Sea, successfully conducted an anti-narcotics operation, leading to the seizure of 1,500 kilograms of hashish valued at approximately 3 million US dollars,” the Navy said.

The interdiction, it added, underscored the force’s “unwavering commitment to combating illicit activities and ensuring security in the maritime domain.”

Pakistan Navy said it routinely undertakes RMSP missions to safeguard national maritime interests through “robust vigilance and effective presence at sea,” and continues to play a proactive role in collaborative maritime-security efforts with other regional navies.

The seizure comes amid heightened counter-narcotics activity at sea.

In October, a Pakistani vessel seized a haul worth nearly $972 million in what authorities described as one of the largest drug seizures ever reported in the North Arabian Sea.

Last month, Pakistan Navy units operating under a Saudi Arabia-led multinational task force seized about 2,000 kg of methamphetamine, valued at roughly $130 million, highlighting the role of regional cooperation in disrupting trafficking networks.