Cricket: Plane towing 'Justice for Kashmir' banner flies over UK stadium

Banners reading "#Justice for Kashmir" and "India stop genocide & free Kashmir" were flown over Headingley stadium during India's World Cup clash with Sri Lanka on Saturday.

It was the second such incident at the event in England and Wales, after a banner was flown over the same ground in Leeds during last week's match between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"We are incredibly disappointed this has happened again," the International Cricket Council said in a statement. "We do not condone any sort of political messages at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.

"Throughout the tournament, we have worked with local police forces around the country to prevent this type of protest occurring. After the previous incident, we were assured by West Yorkshire Police there would not be a repeat of this issue, so we are very dissatisfied it has happened again."

Kashmir dispute 

Nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety. 

Resistance groups demand that Kashmir be united either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country in a UN-backed or sponsored plebiscite.

Anti-India sentiment runs deep in Kashmir's mostly Muslim population and most people support the armed rebels' cause against Indian rule. 

Nearly 100,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the ensuing Indian military crackdown since 1989. 

Fans clash

Last week's group game between Pakistan and Afghanistan was marred by clashes between fans, prompting a police probe.

The ugly scenes were sparked by the flying of a banner over the ground reading: "Justice for Balochistan."

Balochistan, Pakistan's largest and poorest province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, is rife with terrorist and sectarian violence.

The Pakistani military has been waging war on militants there since 2004, and security forces are frequently targeted.