Pakistan left guessing as reports emerge of ‘no show’ by Hasina
Pakistan’s Foreign Office says it didn't receive any official communication from their counterparts in Dhaka.
ISLAMABAD:
Controversy beckoned as Bangladesh’s foreign ministry revealed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed has turned down an invitation to a summit in Islamabad next week — a development that officials in Pakistan’s foreign ministry insist they are not aware of.
“The prime minister is not going to attend the summit,” Syed Masud Khundoker, a director-general in Bangladesh’s foreign ministry, told AFP.
An official in Hasina’s office, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the prime minister would not be joining the Developing-8 summit meeting on November 22. Foreign Minister Dipu Moni would instead represent Bangladesh, he added. Neither official explained Hasina’s decision not to attend.
On the contrary, officials in Pakistan’s Foreign Office said they have not received any official communication from their counterparts in Dhaka that Premier Hasina was not coming to Islamabad to attend the
Eight-nation summit.
In fact, officials revealed that an advance team of Bangladeshi officials has already arrived in Islamabad to join those Foreign Office officials who were making arrangements for Premier Hasina’s tour.
“As far as our latest information is concerned she is coming,” an official told The Express Tribune requesting anonymity. “Neither has Bangladesh’s foreign ministry informed the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka about any change in Hasina’s plan nor their high commissioner in Islamabad has conveyed to us any such decision,’’ the official added.
Dhaka-based newspaper The Daily Star said that policy advisers had told Hasina that it would be unwise to visit Pakistan, unless Islamabad offered a formal apology to Dhaka for what it regards as “genocide” during the 1971 war.
(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM AFP)
Published in The Express Tribune, November 14th, 2012.
Controversy beckoned as Bangladesh’s foreign ministry revealed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed has turned down an invitation to a summit in Islamabad next week — a development that officials in Pakistan’s foreign ministry insist they are not aware of.
“The prime minister is not going to attend the summit,” Syed Masud Khundoker, a director-general in Bangladesh’s foreign ministry, told AFP.
An official in Hasina’s office, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the prime minister would not be joining the Developing-8 summit meeting on November 22. Foreign Minister Dipu Moni would instead represent Bangladesh, he added. Neither official explained Hasina’s decision not to attend.
On the contrary, officials in Pakistan’s Foreign Office said they have not received any official communication from their counterparts in Dhaka that Premier Hasina was not coming to Islamabad to attend the
Eight-nation summit.
In fact, officials revealed that an advance team of Bangladeshi officials has already arrived in Islamabad to join those Foreign Office officials who were making arrangements for Premier Hasina’s tour.
“As far as our latest information is concerned she is coming,” an official told The Express Tribune requesting anonymity. “Neither has Bangladesh’s foreign ministry informed the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka about any change in Hasina’s plan nor their high commissioner in Islamabad has conveyed to us any such decision,’’ the official added.
Dhaka-based newspaper The Daily Star said that policy advisers had told Hasina that it would be unwise to visit Pakistan, unless Islamabad offered a formal apology to Dhaka for what it regards as “genocide” during the 1971 war.
(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM AFP)
Published in The Express Tribune, November 14th, 2012.