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No fond Kanpur memories for Pak fans
Pak convincingly won at Green Park, but Indian officials failed to win the hearts of around 1,000 fans who had come all the way to Kanpur.
Pakistan convincingly won the one-day cricket match at the Green Park stadium, but Indian authorities failed to win the hearts of around 1,000 Pakistani fans who had come all the way to Kanpur.
As they left the once thriving industrial city for New Delhi, the Pakistanis had one common complaint: they were denied the dignity they deserved as ambassadors of peace from Pakistan.
Both officials at the Green Park and the local police were apathetic to their needs, in sharp contrast to the royal treatment Indians got in Lahore, they said.
The "special enclosure" earmarked for Pakistani spectators by the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association was crammed, did not even offer a clear view of the match, and was too far from the food and drinks stalls.
"What a contrast it was to the treatment given to Indian cricket fans in Lahore," said Musamma Gilani of Lahore.
"I am sure the number of chairs in our stand were far more than the capacity of that enclosure. And to add to our woes, there was no one to even guide us.
"It was an ordeal for everyone who had travelled 36 to 40 hours from another country to reach here."
Javed Basheer, a Pakistani from Sialkot who now works in Washington, more than agreed.
"The reopening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad (bus route) has truly added a new chapter to the peace efforts. It seems officials in Kanpur are apathetic towards these initiatives," he said agitatedly.
"Otherwise they would have displayed some concern for people like us who have come here as ambassadors of peace in our own small way."
According to them, the Pakistani enclosure was so chock-full with shabby chairs that there was no space even to shift places. In addition, the policemen guarding their enclosure wouldn't let them move out.
But the VIP enclosure a little distance away, occupied by some 5,000 ministers, bureaucrats, the police brass and their families, was teaming with errand boys ensuring uninterrupted cold drinks, snacks and water supply.
"The least the authorities could have done was to ensure a decent location for our enclosure specially when they had priced our ticket for Rs.1,000," added a visibly disgusted Lahore man who gave his name only as Usman.
Said Tahir Shams, another visitor from Lahore: "What was worse was that the policemen were not allowing us to even go out. We were told that if anyone stepped out, he would not be allowed re-entry.
"It was only after much begging and cajoling that one of the cops relented."
