India-Pakistan Relations Remain Frozen, Cricket Diplomacy Slow to Move

Strategic Insights -

India and Pakistan have had virtually no relations since 2016, except for cricket diplomacy, which has been slow to progress due to Pakistan's reluctance to return the Asian Cricket Cup trophy. Foreign Minister-level talks ended abruptly in 2016 following the Uri attacks, and since then, there has been little to no contact between the two nations. The Kartarpur Corridor is closed, and jathas to Nankana Sahib have been banned by the Indian Home Ministry.

Key Takeaways:

  • The only area where Indian representatives are still talking to Pakistan is cricket, where Rajeev Shukla and Ashish Shelar are negotiating with Asian Cricket Cup president Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan's Interior Minister, to return the ACC cup.
  • Mohsin Naqvi has locked up the trophy in his Dubai office and insists he will only hand it over personally to a member of the winning team in the presence of one BCCI representative.
  • India hopes to isolate Pakistan at the International Cricket Council, headed by Jay Shah, but Pakistan has secured at least one vote, Bangladesh.
  • A dispute is brewing within Tata Trusts between Mehli Mistry, ousted from the trust last Tuesday, and Parsi trustees Darius Khambata and Jehangir H C Jehangir over the listing of Tata Sons.
  • The listing of Tata Sons, which controls the vast Tata empire, would leave the group open to a takeover and could be vulnerable to government intervention.
  • Celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of Mayo College in Rajasthan were marred by a controversy over a proposed release of a limited-edition Indian-made single malt whisky, which was withdrawn after objections from an alumnus.
  • The J&K Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, revealed in an interview that tourist guides had accessed the Baisaran meadow without formal permission.