On February 19th, during the Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators match at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, security personnel halted Faryal, a woman, from raising banners at the gate bearing slogans in support of Palestine.
Expressing her frustration on social media, Faryal wrote, “Security personnel stopped me as if I were carrying weapons. The behavior was unacceptable.”
According to a report by Dawn, security officials told Faryal, “Permission to take these banners inside is not granted. This is a political and controversial message. Some people find it offensive. If you want to go inside, you’ll have to leave these banners outside.”
Faryal informed Dawn that the behavior of the security guards was inappropriate, stating, “My younger siblings who were with me got scared due to their attitude, so I decided not to argue.”
The security personnel were following the guidelines behind the tickets of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which state, “It is strictly forbidden to bring in items such as posters, banners, or playcards that contain content related to religious, political, or racial discrimination.”
However, Faryal’s message was related to the situation in Palestine concerning Israel’s occupation, aligning with Pakistan’s stance on the matter.
While protests in support of Palestine during European football matches continue, the recent incident in Lahore raises questions about the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to prohibit banners supporting Palestine during cricket matches.
In contrast, the Green Brigade of Celtic, a Scottish football club, displayed solidarity with Palestine during their Scottish Premiership match against Kilmarnock on February 17th. However, there has been a noticeable absence of such expressions of unity during cricket events, such as the recent Cricket Asia Cup. The incident in Lahore adds to the ongoing discussions about the appropriate platforms for expressing solidarity with international causes during sporting events, sparking debates on the balance between political expressions and sporting events’ neutrality.
