PM Modi greets Imran Khan
The Indian Government on Friday boycotted a function on the eve of the Pakistan National Day to register its protest on an invitation extended to the Kashmiri separatist leaders for the function, the External Affairs Ministry said.
It also said no Indian representative will attend similar events in Islamabad. Earlier, Union Minister used to attend the event at Pakistan High Commission to mark its National Day which Pakistan celebrates to mark the Lahore Resolution on March 23 each year.
“India has decided not to send any representative to attend the Pakistan National Day celebrations today (Friday). This decision was taken after Pakistan High Commission decided to invite representatives of the Hurriyat Conference to the reception,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday sent a message to his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan, greeting people of the neighbouring country on the eve of its National Day, official sources said.
Making India’s stand clear at a media briefing here, Kumar also said India is very clear that any attempt by the Pakistani High Commission or Pakistani leadership to engage with the Hurriyat Conference will not be taken lightly. India has been strongly opposed to Pakistan engaging with separatist leaders of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Our High Commission in Islamabad will also not be attending the reception there,” Kumar said. Sources said last week India conveyed to Pakistan High Commission that it will not send any representative to the reception if Hurriyat leaders are invited to it. They said India is boycotting the events for extending invitation to Hurriyat leaders and not because of any other issue. At least 30 Hurriyat leaders were invited for this year’s function, sources said. In the past Union Minister V K Singh had also attended the event here.
But Pak High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood said coercive measures have never worked in the past and will not work in future even as he raked up the Kashmir issue. “Diplomacy and dialogue remain indispensable for enhancing mutual understanding and addressing outstanding issues including Kashmir,” he said.
Last year, the reception at the Pakistan High Commission was attended by Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Some low-ranking leaders from a number of separatist outfits from Kashmir also attended the reception.
India’s decision to boycott the reception here and events in Islamabad comes in the backdrop of heightened tension between the two countries after the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 and subsequent air strike by India on a training camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Pakistan’s Balakot on February 26. The JeM had claimed responsibility for the Pulwama attack.
Pakistan retaliated the next day by unsuccessfully attempting to target Indian military installations.
India has mounted diplomatic offensive against Pakistan since the Pulwama attack to corner the country internationally on the issue of terrorism.
