Pakistan pulls out of 44th Chess Olympiad over torch relay passing through J&K

Pakistan on Thursday accused India of politicising the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai by passing the torch relay for the event through Jammu and Kashmir and announced that it will not participate in the event. An official statement from Islamabad described the torch relay through Kashmir as a “travesty” and called upon India to free political prisoners in the valley.

“Pakistan condemns India’s mischievous attempt to mix politics with sports. 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,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the statement. The torch relay passed through Kashmir’s capital Srinagar on June 21.

The Ministry of External Affairs is yet to respond to Pakistan’s comments on the Chess Olympiad that will be inaugurated on Thursday evening in Chennai by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.

“By passing the torch relay through IIOJK (Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir), in utter disregard of the globally acknowledged “disputed” status of the territory, India has committed a travesty that the international community cannot accept under any circumstances. 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 continuing for over 7 decades,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan in a statement.

The announcement from Islamabad came two days after the Chess Federation of Pakistan (CFP) said that a ten-member Pakistani chess team would travel to Chennai to participate in the 44th Chess Olympiad.