The Supreme Court of India refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on an urgent basis, seeking to restrain a cricket match between India and Pakistan.

The petition was filed by four law students, led by Urvashi Jain, through their counsels, seeking cancellation of the India-Pakistan cricket match scheduled on September 14, in the UAE for the Asia Cup tournament.

The petition argued that, soon after the Pahalgam attack, playing a cricket match with Pakistan would be “against national interest” and would “belittle the sacrifices” of soldiers and civilians who lost their lives.

During a brief mentioning, counsel for the petitioners urged the bench to list the matter on Friday.

A two-judge bench led by Justice J.K. Maheshwari asked the petitioner, “What is the urgency? It’s a match, let it be.”

The counsel tried to convince the bench for an urgent hearing, saying the plea would become infructuous if not taken up immediately, as the match was scheduled for Sunday..

However, Justice Maheshwari dismissed the request, remarking, “The match must go on.” When the lawyer pressed further, the bench refused to intervene.

Meanwhile, India and Pakistan have not played any bilateral series on each other’s soil since 2012–13 due to political and security reasons.

Their traditional rivalry is reflected on the field as well, with any fixture between the two nations becoming one of the most-watched events in a tournament.