Pro-Pakistan hawks and Kashmiri hardline figures Syed Ali Geelani and Asiya Andrabi, among others, have apparently been invited by Pakistan to attend “Pakistan Day” function at its high commission in
Pro-Pakistan hawks and Kashmiri hardline figures Syed Ali Geelani and Asiya Andrabi, among others, have apparently been invited by Pakistan to attend “Pakistan Day” function at its high commission in New Delhi on March 23. According to news agency reports, besides them, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik and Hurriyat’s moderate faction chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have also been called to attend the event.
Pakistan’s envoy Abdul Basit has invited Hurriyat leaders, including Mr Geelani, Mr Andrabi, Mr Malik, Mr Farooq and others, to attend the “Pakistan Day” function on March 23, sources were cited by these reports as saying. Minister of state in Prime Minister’s office Jitendra Singh has also been reportedly invited to the function. However, sources were cited as saying it is unlikely that he will attend the function. Sources said invitations had also been sent to senior officials in the ministry of external affairs (MEA) and it also appears likely that external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and minister of state for external affairs Gen. V.K. Singh (Retd) would have been invited. The MEA now has to take a call on who will represent it at the function.
The invitation to the Hurriyat leaders has been extended just ahead of a meeting expected to take place on Thursday between Pakistan’s adviser to the Prime Minister on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on the sidelines of the Saarc council of ministers’ meeting on Thursday.
