SC refuses to hear plea seeking stay on India vs Pak match in Asia Cup

The Supreme Court of India on Thursday refused to urgently hear a plea seeking to stay the much-anticipated cricket match between India and Pakistan. The match, part of the Asia Cup, is scheduled to take place in Dubai on Sunday, September 14. A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi dismissed the request, stating simply that the "match should go on."

The plea was filed by a petitioner named Urvashi Jain, who challenged the scheduled fixture because playing against Pakistan would send a contradictory message, particularly in the aftermath of the "Pahalgam Terror Attack and Operation Sindoor." The petitioner argued that national dignity and the security of citizens should be prioritized over entertainment.

The counsel for the petitioner had pleaded for an urgent hearing on Friday, emphasizing that the petition would become infructuous if the matter was not heard before the match on Sunday. However, the bench was not swayed by the argument of urgency and declined to list the case, effectively allowing the match to proceed as scheduled.

In the plea, the petitioner contended that "cricket between nations is meant to show harmony and friendship." However, in light of the recent security incidents where Indian soldiers and civilians lost their lives, playing with Pakistan sends a message that is "detrimental to the national interest" and the morale of the armed forces and the nation as a whole.