Pakistan has cancelled a visit to India of its parliamentarians after all of its players were left unsold in a lucrative cricket tournament in India. A group of 11 Pakistan players who were supposed to take part in the event had made themselves available for the auction in Mumbai yesterday, but none of them were bought. Speaker National Assembly Ms Fahmida Mirza announced cancellation of a visit to India after opposition leader said that opposition lawmakers will not join the delegation as protest.

Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, leader of the opposition Muslim League-N party told the House that his party MPs would not travel to India as protest. The Speaker announced that the visit has been cancelled. The country’s cricket board welcomed the National Assembly Speaker Dr. Fehmida Mirza’s decision of not sending any parliamentary delegation to India in response to the treatment meted out to Pakistani Cricketers in the auction.

“I thank the Speaker and the august House for the Solidarity shown with our players”, said Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board Mr. Ijaz Butt. “This decision will show the world that we support our National Heroes and that we stand together as a nation” Last year Pakistan's players were not allowed to travel to India for the last edition of the IPL because of the Mumbai terror attacks and, although the tournament was moved to South Africa, they were still barred from participating.

Before the start of the second edition of the tournament last year, franchises who had Pakistan players in their squads were advised to either terminate their contracts or suspend them. But contracts for all players were terminated in December last year when IPL chairman Lalit Modi revealed the players had failed to meet a deadline to submit clearances. Nisar said that PML-N will continue boycott of Indian visits until the issue is resolved.