NEW DELHI, 10 March 2005 — India’s prime minister expressed happiness over Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf’s expected visit to India to watch cricket match between the two countries. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would welcome a visit by Musharraf to watch an ongoing cricket series between the two countries, a spokesman for Manmohan said yesterday.
However, India’s bureaucracy was in a tangle over the invitation needed by Musharraf to watch the cricket match. The Prime Minister’s Office said the formal invitation to the Pakistani president should come from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
But the BCCI said it was for the government to decide.
“The Board of Control for Cricket in India would welcome it if President Musharraf comes to India but the visit has to be arranged by the government,” said Rajiv Shukla, one of the BCCI’s five vice-presidents.
“We are in touch with the government in this regard,” Shukla said.
Earlier, the BCCI chief said he had sought permission from the government to invite Musharraf for the cricket series. “We’re waiting to hear from them,” said Ranbir Mahendra.
Musharraf said last week he would like to watch some matches during the Pakistani team’s current tour of India, the first full series between the teams on Indian soil since 1999, if New Delhi extended an invitation.
“The Prime minister will be very happy to welcome Musharraf if he wants to watch a cricket match in India,” Sanjay Baru, the prime minister’s spokesman, said.
Analysts said the new burst of “cricket diplomacy” between the neighbors could push forward the year-old peace process.
“I am sure there will be talks on the wider peace process and it will not just be a cricket visit,” Kuldip Nayar, a specialist on South Asian issues said. Baru played down the importance of the trip, should it eventuate. “It is a friendly visit ... Every visit does not have to become state visit,” Baru said.
This would be Musharraf’s first visit to India since the much-publicized Agra summit in 2001, which failed to cut any ice between the nuclear-rivals.
New Delhi has not yet extended a formal invitation to Musharraf, with officials saying they need to work out the logistics of the visit, including security arrangements.
“A lot of things have to be worked out if he visits, as it will be a sudden visit,” an official said. Security would have to be reviewed in and around crowded cricket stadiums for Musharraf, who has survived two assassination attempts by militants in Pakistan, officials said.
Pakistan is scheduled to play three Tests and six one-day internationals, as the cautious peace process between the two neighbors — which have fought three wars — slowly gains pace. India’s NDTV news channel said Manmohan’s office had asked the External Affairs Ministry to formally send an invitation to Musharraf, but there was no comment from the ministry.
The Hindustan Times newspaper said yesterday that Musharraf was likely to watch the second Test match in Calcutta beginning on March 16. “We have just been asked to review and strengthen security at the Eden Gardens (stadium) but we have not been told why,” a senior police official said by telephone from Calcutta.
Pakistan’s late President Gen. Zia-ul Haq visited the Indian city of Jaipur in 1987 to watch a cricket match between the two countries when relations had been strained. Zia described the surprise move as “cricket diplomacy”, a term that stuck for subsequent attempts to use sport to move the peace process forward.
