India's external affairs ministry has cancelled the upcoming bilateral hockey series against Pakistan, it was announced here Friday.
The decision comes a day after Pakistan's National Assembly, lower house of Parliament, condemned the hanging of terrorist Afzal Guru at the Tihar jail here last month.
Pakistan were scheduled to play a five-match series in India April 5-15. India were also slated to tour the neighbours for the second leg of the series from April 23.
"The series was cleared by the sports ministry and the home ministry. But yesterday (Thursday) the external affairs ministry informed us that the series has been cancelled," Hockey India (HI) secretary general Narinder Batra told IANS.
Guru, who was hanged to death Feb 9 after remaining on death row for about eight years, was found guilty of plotting the attack on the Indian parliament Dec 13, 2001. He was buried in Delhi's Tihar jail.
The decision comes a day after Pakistan's National Assembly, lower house of Parliament, condemned the hanging of terrorist Afzal Guru at the Tihar jail here last month.
Pakistan were scheduled to play a five-match series in India April 5-15. India were also slated to tour the neighbours for the second leg of the series from April 23.
"The series was cleared by the sports ministry and the home ministry. But yesterday (Thursday) the external affairs ministry informed us that the series has been cancelled," Hockey India (HI) secretary general Narinder Batra told IANS.
Guru, who was hanged to death Feb 9 after remaining on death row for about eight years, was found guilty of plotting the attack on the Indian parliament Dec 13, 2001. He was buried in Delhi's Tihar jail.