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Cricket violence will not affect Indo-Pak talks, says minister

AFP
19 January 1999



NEW DELHI, Jan 19 (AFP) - Threats by radical Hindus to disrupt Pakistan's first cricket Test tour in India in 12 years will not affect next month's peace talks between the two arch-foes, Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh said Tuesday.

Singh told the Press Trust of India in the southern city of Madras that Hindu militants' attacks on the Indian cricket governing body's headquarters in Bombay and their attack on a match venue in New Delhi were ``reprehensible.

``It is reprehensible and cannot be condoned. Such stray incidents cannot be permitted to stand in the way of good relationship between the two countries,'' he said.

When asked if they would loom over next month's peace talks between the two neighbours who have fought three wars, he said: ``Please do not treat abnormal actions as the yardstick for the talks.''

The Pakistani cricket team is scheduled to arrive in India this week.



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