ISLAMABAD – Islamabad has slammed the planned diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing by the United States and some other countries as Foreign Office called for keeping politics out of sports.
Foreign Office spokesman Asim Iftikhar during the weekly briefing on Friday said Pakistan opposes any form of politicisation of sports and hopes that all countries would come together in Beijing and afford their athletes the opportunity to compete against the best and showcase their skills.
MOFA spokesperson responded after US, Canada, Australia and UK announced not to send their officials to Beijing in protest against the host country’s human rights violations as well as the crackdown in Hong Kong.
He said that “We are confident that despite limitations imposed by Covid-19, the Beijing Winter Olympics would offer a spectacular and colourful gala to sports enthusiasts around the world”.
Earlier, China said it firmly opposed to US diplomatic boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian slammed the announcement as violating political neutrality in sport.
The US attempt to interfere with the Beijing Winter Olympics out of ideological prejudice, based on lies and rumours, he told media while announcing to expose the sinister intentions.
The Winter Olympics are being held in China’s capital and towns in the neighbouring Hebei province from February 4 to 20 next year.
The recent development comes days after China Pakistan declined to attend the US-sponsored virtual democracy summit currently underway while China hailed Islamabad’s move by saying “Pakistan declined to attend democracy summit. A real iron brother!”.
Pakistan declined to attend democracy summit. A real iron brother! pic.twitter.com/oTjHHlNPM3
— Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) December 9, 2021
Pakistan on Wednesday snubbed the US invitation of virtual ‘Summit for Democracy’ saying it would engage with the country on a wide range of issues “at an appropriate time in future”.
The incumbent officials appreciated the US for the invitation saying Pakistan valued its partnership with the US and wished to expand it both bilaterally as well as in terms of regional and international cooperation.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan, during his address at the Institute of Strategic Studies, said Pakistan would not become part of any bloc in the feared new cold war.
‘Wars don’t resolve issues’: PM Imran offers good offices to bridge gaps between China and US
