No govt representation at Pakistan Day event in Delhi

IN THE first statement by the Pakistan’ s head of mission in new Delhi since the Shehbaz Sharif government came to power, Pakistan’s charge d’affaires Saad Ahmad Warraich said on Thursday that the goal of peace and stability can be achieved by “enhancing mutual understanding ”,“addressing shared concerns”, and“resolving long standing disputes, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute”.

While addressing the diplomaticcommunity in delhi on the occasion of the Pakistan National Day, Warraich said on Thursday, “We can emerge from the shadowsoft he past and script a future of hope for our two peoples, based on peaceful co existence, sovereignequality and mutual respect .”

However, there was no representation by the Indian government at the ministerial level at the event.

In the past, there has been ministerial level representation — as is the tradition in the national day events. However, in March 2019, when the Pakistan National Day was celebrated, there was no such representation at that time as well — in the shadow of the pulwa ma terror attacks and the Ballot aerial strikes.

Addressing the diplomatic community, the pakistan’ s charge d’ affairs said: “The founding fathers of Pakistan in India envisioned an amicable relationship between the two countries. Unfortunately, the history of our bilateral relationship has remained challenged for the most part. Cycle of the effects of conflict and tension is not an ordained destiny. We can emerge from the shadow soft he past and script a future of hope for our two peoples, based on peaceful coexistence, sovereign equality and mutual respect. the goal of peace and stability can be achieved by enhancing mutual understanding, addressing shared concerns, and resolving long standing disputes, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.”

This is the first official statement by Pakistan's head of mission in Delhi, since the new government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif came to power.