Islamabad:
As India's cricket team tackled the Pakistanis in an unforgettable World Cup semi-final at Mohali, the Prime Ministers of the two countries, who were seated next to each other, cheered somewhat discretely for their teams. After a while, Dr Manmohan Singh and his counterpart, Yousuf Raza Gilani, left the stadium for talks. A lavish dinner followed. India won the match, and Mr Gilani graciously congratulated his hosts.
Both the Indian and Pakistani delegations that had accompanied the premiers lauded the "spirit of Mohali" and said the "cricket diplomacy" was a major step forward in bilateral attempts to end the freeze that began when Pakistani terrorists launched India's worst-ever terror attacks in Mumbai on 26/11/2008.
Mr Gilani, on Monday, had hailed the Mohali match for proving to be a catalyst for improving ties between the two countries. "It is not the question of winning or losing by one country; In fact the winner is the cricket and the people of Pakistan and India," he was quoted as saying. (
Read: Mohali match improved Pakistan-Indian ties, says Gilani)
But a Pakistani of huge importance for India feels otherwise. Hafiz Saeed, who India believes masterminded the 26/11 attacks, chose a rally on the streets of Islamabad to offer a dissenting note.
"This cricket diplomacy, these so called trade and friendship efforts have no value. We want to be clear about this. We are with the Kashmiri people and will continue to give our full support till they are free. We will stand by the Kashmiri people until they have achieved freedom," he said.
Saeed is widely regarded as the top man at the Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT), which has attacked India repeatedly. He is officially the founder of a charity organization named Jamaat-ud-Dawa, which was banned in December 2008 by the United Nations for serving as a front for the Lashkar.
Saeed was then placed under house arrest. On October 12, 2009, the Lahore High Court acquitted him and said his organisation had done nothing to deserve being banned. Pakistan's Supreme Court agreed with that verdict.
India has handed to Pakistan its evidence of Saeed's role in organising 26/11 - much of the information is based on the confession of Ajmal Kasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist caught alive during the attack he launched with nine other young men who sailed into Mumbai in a boat from Karachi.