Pahalgam terror attack: What have prepretrators achieved, asks Gavasar

Bengaluru: Former India Test captain Sunil Gavaskar, who has supported calmer borders for resuming cricketing ties between India and Pakistan, has expressed solidarity with the families of those killed in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22. He also questioned what the perpetrators and their handlers had achieved with such acts of violence.

Terrorists killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Pahalgam in the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019. The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack.

"I send my condolences to all the families who have lost their loved and dear ones. It has affected all of us Indians...," Gavaskar said before the start of the IPL match.

"I just wanna ask a question to all the perpetrators, and all those who backed them (the terrorists), their handlers - What has all this fighting achieved?

"For the last 78 years, not one millimetre of land has exchanged hands, is it? So for the next 78,000 years, nothing is going to change. So why don't we live in peace instead, and make our country strong? So that is my appeal."

On Wednesday, the BCCI condemned the "ghastly and cowardly" attack. As a mark of respect, players of the Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad wore black armbands during their IPL match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Wednesday. A minute’s silence was also observed before the game to mourn the victims.

India had suspended bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and recently declined to tour the neighbouring country for the Champions Trophy. The decision prompted the ICC to consider a neutral venue, with Dubai hosting the India matches.