NEW DELHI - India has confirmed it will not go ahead with its scheduled tour of Pakistan next month in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
Indian Sports Minister M. S. Gill made the announcement in Parliament Thursday.
He confirmed widely held expectations that the tour would be called off after the attacks which killed 164 people. Indian authorities say last month's attack was committed by militants originating from Pakistan.
India was due to tour Pakistan for three tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 international between January 8 and February 19.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had floated the idea of hosting the series in the United Arab Emirates.
However, Ratnakar Shetty, a chief administrative officer at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), told the CNN-IBN news channel there was no talk of a neutral venue.
Press Trust of India reported Thursday that the government decision was relayed to the BCCI through a communication, saying that the tour was not deemed fit in view of the "recent developments as well as the overall circumstances prevailing at present."
It is the third major tour cancellation of Pakistan this year on security grounds. Australia pulled out of its scheduled visit, while the International Cricket Council also postponed the Champions Trophy one-day tournament.
