Abdul Basit Summoned After Pakistan Cancelled Indian Envoy’s Event

Diplomat Gautam Bambawale and his wife. (Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Gautam Bambawale)

Secretary of West, Ministry of External Affairs of India, Sujata Mehta summoned Pakistan envoy to India Abdul Basit after an event of Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Gautam Bambawale, was cancelled last minute on Monday.

It is considered to be a snub, apparently over his remarks on Monday on Pakistan’s interference in Kashmir.

Bambawale, who is on his first visit to Karachi after assuming charge in January this year, was told about the cancellation “just half an hour before the event, invite for which was received and accepted by him a couple of weeks ago”, sources told PTI.

The organisers did not give a reason immediately for the cancellation.

However, the Indian officials feel that Bambawale’s comments on Pakistan’s interference in Kashmir prompted the cancellation. “This is very disrespectful on the part of the organisers,” officials asserted.

During an interactive session organised by the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations, on Monday, Bambawale had taken a swipe at Pakistan over its interference in Kashmir, saying that “people living in glass houses should not be throwing stones at others.”

There are problems in both India and Pakistan and you (Pakistan) should focus on resolving your problems before looking into the problems of other countries.

Gautam Bambawale, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan

(With inputs from PTI.)