ISLAMABAD – Pakistan took a careful tone from the start of Gaza war and now spectators have been barred from bringing pro-Palestine banner or Palestinian flags into the stadium during the matches of Pakistan Super League season 9.
A report in Dawn shared the suffering of a girl who was restricted at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium as security personnel restricted her from bringing pro-Palestine banners at the Pakistan Super League match.
In a social media post, the girl shared his ordeal, saying security personnel restricted her like she was carrying any sort of weapon with her. She lamented that banners stating “Palestine Will Be Free” are not allowed inside the stadium.
The security personnel told the girl to leave the banner with a political message in order to attend the game. The girl sharing her ordeal said those banners calling for free Palestine were said to be
“controversial and politically motivated”.
She said the stadium security members actually did their jobs, enforcing the terms and conditions mentioned behind the tickets of PSL. She also shed light on PSL tickets, stating that posters, banners, or placards, depicting religious, political, or racial discrimination in the form of text or pictures are not allowed.
Following the latest event, PCB and the interim government’s stance on the matter remains unclear. Fans are however curious about why spectators are not allowed to display a message considered to be a humanitarian appeal.
Pakistan along with the Muslim world strongly denounced the targeting of civilians in Gaza which has been under heavy Israeli bombardment with no end of violence in sight.