PoK anthem at Kashmir cricket match

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir police may detain for questioning the organisers of a cricket tournament during which the national anthem of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir was played in Pulwama on Sunday.

The video has gone viral and officials said the police has already taken up investigations. “With video clippings we are trying to identify the people who were part of the match ahead of which the PoK anthem was played and pro-freedom and anti-national slogans were chanted,” said a police officer.

Pak anthem was played in April too at a match
The match was played on Sunday and the amateur video which was later placed on social media and has since gone viral was filmed moments before the clash between Shining Star Pampore and Pulwama Tigers in the final match of the tourney played in the Pulwama town stadium.

In April this year, a video had surfaced showing a group of local cricketers wearing Pakistan green lining up for the Pakistani national anthem ahead of a cricket match played in the Valley’s Ganderbal district.

In that video, the cricketers in the Pakistan kit could be seen standing while the neighbouring country’s national anthem was being played ahead of this match.

The opposing team, dressed in the traditional white cricketing outfit, were representing India in the match, and had also stood in respect while the Indian national anthem was being played.

However, the players in the Pakistani kit were later detained for questioning by the police and released after their meeting legal requirement.

Reports from Pulwama which with other districts of south Kashmir-Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag- has been worst hit in post-Burhan Wani killing in July 2016 and where the number of local youth joining the militant ranks is increasing by the day posters with photographs of slain militants were also put up around the playground while post match awards were named after some of the slain militants.