PHOTO: INP
The invite for Eid Milan comes after the high commission withdrew an earlier invitation for Iftar on July 4. According to reports, the invitation was withdrawn in light of a meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Ufa on the sidelines of the SCO summit.
Read: Nawaz-Modi meet-up: India reluctant to revive composite dialogue
Further, the reports added Hurriyat leaders were told that the Iftar was postponed owing to a deadly heatwave in Karachi which claimed over 1,000 lives.
The meeting of the two premiers has provided a much-needed ice-breaker in Pakistan, India talks. In August 2014, India called off secretary-level talks with Pakistan following a meeting between Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit and Hurriyat leaders from Kashmir.
Read: Salman Khurshid to Modi: Don't expect dramatic results from Pakistan visit
Further, an invitation to leaders of Kashmiri separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference, an umbrella of 26 parties from the disputed Himalayan state, to a Pakistan Day reception this year held by Basit turned into a media referendum on the Indian approach to resuming stalled dialogue with Pakistan.
Read: Kashmir issue to be tackled through back-channel diplomacy: Aziz
The government has said PM Nawaz and Modi decided to resolve the longstanding disputes of Kashmir, Siachen, and Sir Creek through ‘back-channel diplomacy’during their Russia meeting.
The article originally appeared on The Times of India
COMMENTS (6)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ