COLOMBO: Pakistan and Sri Lanka on Tuesday agreed to further strengthen bilateral relations through adherence to a common South Asian narrative rooted in the 1992 Cricket World Cup.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said by joining the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Sri Lanka would play as big a role for regional development as it did by losing the match against Pakistan in 1992.
“My visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral relationship [with Sri Lanka], through enhanced connectivity that links the two narratives towards the origin of it all: the 1992 Cricket World Cup,” PM Khan said while addressing a joint press conference with his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa.
“And here I would like to congratulate the Sri Lanka of today, Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka, which is clearly built on the lessons that were learnt from Sri Lanka’s four-wicket defeat in Pakistan’s penultimate group stage match of the ’92 World Cup,” PM Khan added.
While speaking to the journalists, Khan urged Sri Lanka to join the CPEC in the year 2021, in turn playing the same role that it had played in 1992.
“Sri Lanka helped Pakistan qualify for the semifinals by losing the match in 1992, and in turn helped itself by the lessons learnt. The benefits of those lessons range from Sri Lanka winning the 1996 World Cup, in Pakistan, and can be seen in whatever good is happening in Sri Lanka today. Therefore, Sri Lanka joining CPEC as important as its 1992 World Cup defeat to Pakistan,” Khan maintained.
Khan confirmed that his visit to Sri Lanka this week was designed to coincide with the anniversary of the 1992 World Cup, which began on February 22.
The premier also said that Pakistan and Sri Lanka are all set to earmark March 15 as ‘Sri Lanka-Pakistan Friendship Day’ to correspond with the date the group stage match between the two countries was played out in 1992.
“We’ll soon be taking the same narrative to Zimbabwe, Australia, New Zealand and England, and urging them to join CPEC as well,” PM Khan said.
The PM also confirmed that the government has also tasked the Pakistan Meteorological Department to find a way to ensure that Adelaide rain could somehow join CPEC as well, given the role it played in the 1992 World Cup win, in turn reshaping all of South Asia.
