ISLAMABAD                 -              Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) organized hockey and football exhibition matches to mark Kashmir Solidarity Day here at Pakistan Sports Complex on Wednesday.

Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) Minister Dr Fehmida Mirza graced the occasion as chief guest while PSB Director General Amna Imran Khan, PSB employees, officers, players, university students, Agha Amjadullah, Mansoor Ahmed, M Azam Dar, Deputy DGs, M Saeed Akhtar, Assistant Director Women Cell Shazia Ejaz, PSB Employees Union President Ghulam Taqi Khan Bosan, Akram Bhatti and others were also present on the occasion.

In hockey match, Kashmir XI beat PSB XI 2-1. Haya and Sidra scored one goal each for the winners while Binish scored the lone goal for the PSB XI. Binish played excellent hockey by dribbling and dogging during match and she was also declared the best player of match, which was supervised by Wajid and Azeem.

In football match, PSB XI edged out Kashmir XI 2-1. The PSB goals were scored by midfielder Ali Ahmed and defender Hussan-e-Alam while midfielder Afaq scored the only goal for Kashmir XI. Tauqeer was the referee while Ali Nawaz and Shamoon were the assistant referees.

Dr Fehmida spent lot of time interacting with different players and coaches, while she also announced to hold 1st Women Sports Festival in a befitting manner. She appreciated the efforts of DG Amna Imran and promised to provide all required help to make the Women Sports Festival a huge success, terming it a need of the hour to provide equal opportunities to females, so that they may bring laurels for the country at any given stage.

Meanwhile, Dr Fehmida also played hockey with the Kashmir XI and PCB XI team and showed her hockey skills as well. The hockey match was played at outer stadium, as Naseer Bunda Stadium is closed for laying down of new Astroturf. Dr Mirza distributed certificates and trophies among the participants. Dr Mirza, who is also PSB president, expressed her unflinching and unwavering support to the Kashmiri people in their just struggle for right of self-determination, while condemning the illegal action of India in occupied Kashmir including detention of youth, political leaders and communication blockade. She called upon the UN Security Council to enforce a peaceful settlement of Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with its resolution.

Dr Mirza made it very clear to India that atrocities can’t stop Kashmiri people from registering their genuine demands to international community and people and government of Pakistan is fully committed to the Kashmir cause and people of Kashmir. “PM Imran Khan’s government is raising Kashmir issue at every available platform. The way India had completely shut down Kashmir for almost 200 days is a war crime and the world must stand up and stop India from genocide of around 8 million Kashmiris, who are suffering the worst at the hands of Indian government. We want to tell India that Pakistani government and people are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Kashmiri people and we will never back off from providing all kinds of moral and humanitarian support to them,” she added.

PSB DG Amna Imran Khan thanked the IPC Minister for sparing valuable time for the noble cause of Kashmiris. She also appreciated the sportsmen spirit of the participants, who made human hand chain to express their solidarity with the brethren Kashmiri people.