India skips Pak event over separatists’ invite

NEW DELHI: New Delhi decided to boycott the Pakistan Day reception after Islamabad did not respond to a message that Indian representatives would stay away if Hurriyat Conference representatives were invited to the event, people familiar with developments said on Friday.

The message was conveyed to Pakistan’s deputy high commissioner when he was called in to the external affairs ministry on Wednesday afternoon, the people said. The government waited till Thursday and decided not to send any official representative to the reception on Friday, after there was no response from the Pakistani side, the people added.

Pakistan Day, which commemorates passing of the Lahore Resolution on creating an independent country for Muslims of British India in 1940 and adoption of Pakistan’s first Constitution in 1956, is observed on March 23. The Pakistani mission in New Delhi decided to organise the reception this year on March 22.

No representative of the Indian high commission will attend the reception to be held in Islamabad on Saturday, external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

“I can confirm that India has decided not to send any representative to attend the Pakistan Day (event in New Delhi). This decision was taken after the Pakistan high commission decided to invite Hurriyat representatives to the reception,” he said.

“We are very clear that any attempt by the Pakistan high commission to engage with the Hurriyat representatives will not be taken lightly and this is what we’ve said in the past as well,” Kumar said.