In what comes as a major move after the Pulwama millitant attack that rocked the entire country on Thursday, Mumbai’s Cricket Club of India (CCI) has decided to remove the portrait of former Pakistan cricketer and now Prime Minister, Imran Khan from the collection of various memorabilia that the club holds.

Earlier, CCI President Premal Udani had confirmed that they had covered Imran’s portrait as a mark of protest and could decide to take it down entirely. The latest development in the matter suggests that the portrait has already been removed.

“We know which country is behind the terror attack. It was decided that the sentiments of the people of the country were to be upheld and therefore the move to remove his portrait,” a senior committee member was quoted as saying by India Today.

The decision comes in the wake of the deadly suicide bomb blast that was carried by a Jaish-e-Mohammed militant in Pulwama. The attack saw 49 CRPF men being killed while several others were left injured.

It has also been understood that the club had been getting emails from a section of fans, soon after Khan had become the PM of Pakistan. The committee stood by its tradition of respecting the cricketing credentials and ignored the advice. While Khan is yet to break his silence on the Pulwama attack, his refusal to condemn the act seems to have convinced the CCI change stance on the subject.

CCI is a sports-club that houses the Brabourne stadium and has photographs of several past and present cricketers from all countries across the world. As far as the cricketing history is concerned, Imran has twice played for Pakistan against India at the Brabourne Stadium. He even captained the team in a festival game at the venue against India in 1987. He also featured against Australia in a Nehru Cup game in 1989, winning the Man of the Match award.

DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran warned neighbouring Pakistan on Saturday it would “pay a heavy price” for allegedly harbouring militants who killed 27 of its elite Revolutionary Guards in a suicide bombing near the border earlier this week, state television reported.
Revolutionary Guards chief Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari also accused Tehran’s regional rival Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of supporting militant Sunni groups that attack Iranian forces, saying they could face “reprisal operations.”

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE deny backing such militants.

“Why do Pakistan’s army and security body … give refuge to these anti-revolutionary groups? Pakistan will no doubt pay a high price,” Jafari said in remarks live on state television.

Jafari was addressing a large crowd gathered for the funeral of the victims of Wednesday’s suicide bombing, which took place in a southeastern region where security forces are facing a rise in attacks by militants from the country’s Sunni Muslim minority.

“Just in the past year, six or seven suicide attacks were neutralised but they were able to carry out this one,” Jafari told the mourners, who packed a square in the central city of Isfahan and roads leading to it.

The Sunni group Jaish al Adl (Army of Justice), which says it seeks greater rights and better living conditions for the ethnic minority Baluchis, claimed responsibility for the attack.

“The treacherous Saudi and UAE governments should know that Iran’s patience has ended and we will no longer stand your secret support for these anti-Islam criminals,” Jafari said.

“We will avenge the blood of our martyrs from the Saudi and UAE governments and ask the President (Hassan Rouhani) … to leave our hands free more than ever for reprisal operations,” Jafari told the crowd, drawing chants of “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest).

Iran’s Shi’ite Muslim authorities say militant groups operate from safe havens in Pakistan and have repeatedly called on the neighbouring country to crack down on them.

Jafari’s remarks came amid heightening regional tensions after Israel and the Gulf Arab states attended a summit in the Polish capital Warsaw this week where the United States hoped to ratchet up pressure against Iran.