Pro-Palestine Banners Banned At Pakistan Super League (PSL) Matches

Entering Gaddafi Stadium for the Pakistan Super League clash between Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators, Faryal faced a hurdle at the gates. Security personnel halted her, treating her banner like a weapon.

“They acted like I’m carrying a weapon with me,” Faryal vented on X, sharing her frustration. Despite lacking any actual weapon, the guards objected to her banner, bearing the words “Palestine Will Be Free.“

“This is not allowed inside,” they insisted. Faryal recounted to Dawn the next day, “This is a political message, it is controversial and may hurt some people. If you want to go inside, you’ve to leave it here.“

Though the guards were just following rules stated on the PSL tickets – prohibiting banners depicting political messages – Faryal’s message aligned with Pakistan’s stance on Israel’s occupation of Palestine.

Despite Pakistan’s consistent advocacy for a two-state solution, aligning with international resolutions, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chose to restrict spectators from expressing a humanitarian appeal concerning the loss of innocent lives in the ongoing Israeli aggression on Palestine’s Gaza Strip.

Previously, PSL also got KFC (which is currently on the list of products to boycott) as their main sponsor, this decision faced an immense backlash from the Pakistani audience.