Pakistan 'rejects' Indian complaint of 'discourtesy' to envoy

New Delhi, Sept 7: The Pakistan High Commissioner’s office here on Wednesday “rejected” the Indian Exterl Affairs Ministry’s complaint of “discourtesy” shown to the Indian envoy in Islamabad. A press official in the Pakistan High Commissioner’s office said that “The office categorically rejects the Indian complaint and has conveyed to them that the cancellations of Pakistan High Commission events in India were becoming a routine.” Earlier, on Wednesday, Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit was summoned by Secretary (West) Sujata Mehta and “conveyed the concern of Government of India on discourtesy to Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale”.

Bambawale was scheduled to speak on Tuesday at an event at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce, the invitation for which was received and accepted by him a couple of weeks ago. But the event was cancelled at the last minute, India has maintained. Rejecting the Indian claim, the Pakistan envoy’s spokesperson maintained that the Karachi Chamber of Commerce Institute is an independent organisation and has nothing to do with the government. He also maintained that Indian authorities had “not allowed” Basit to participate in various events in India. Diplomatic ties between the two countries have plummeted since the killing of Burhan Wani, a Hizbul militant commander, in Jammu and Kashmir on July 8. Pakistan has declared Wani a “martyr”, and has been trying to intertiolise the Kashmir problem. (IANS)