ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday announced its decision to pull out of the 44th Chess Olympiad being held in India after New Delhi passed the event’s relay torch through the disputed Kashmir region.
Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in full, though they only control parts of it. The two countries have also fought several battles and border skirmishes in the area during the last seven decades over Kashmir.
“Pakistan condemns India’s mischievous attempt to mix politics with sports,” said the foreign office in a statement issued in Islamabad. “As a protest, Pakistan has decided not to participate in the 44th Chess Olympiad and will also raise the matter with the International Chess Federation at the highest level.”
The 44th Chess Olympiad is being held in India’s Chennai city from July 28 to August 10.
A biennial tournament, it gets impressive representation from across the world, including titled players from Pakistan.
A Pakistani contingent was also training to participate in the event in India before the relay torch was moved through Kashmir’s Srinagar city on June 21.
The ministry said by passing the torch through the disputed territory, India had committed a “travesty” which the international community could not accept. It added New Delhi’s action was in utter disregard to the globally recognized disputed status of Kashmir.
“India must know that by such provocative and indefensible actions, it can neither seek nor claim international legitimacy for its unjustifiable, illegal and tyrannical occupation of IIOJK [Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir] continuing for over 7 decades,” the statement said.
