New Delhi: India will not send any representative at the Pakistan National Day reception that will take place at the Pakistani High Commission today. The reason behind not sending its representative is that the High Commission has invited Hurriyat representatives to the reception, irking New Delhi. Pakistani national day is marked on 23 March every year.
The development comes in the backdrop of Pulwama terror attack on 14 February whose responsibility was claimed by Pakistan based United Nations listed Jaish-e-Mohammad. The attack, the worst on Indian security personnel in two decades, killed more than 40 Indian CRPF personnel.
Pakistan national day is the day when the Muslim League passed the Lahore resolution calling for the formation of Pakistan on 23 March, 1940. Pakistan on 23 March, 1956, also adopted its first constitution.
This year Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad will be the chief guest at the Pakistan Day Parade in Islamabad.
In the last few years, India has sent Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs Gen VK Singh, former Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs MJ Akbar and Minister of State in Agriculture Ministry Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as its representatives to the national day.
It is part of a diplomatic tradition that a host country is invited to importation national events by any embassy or high commission and the host country deputes a political representative according to the nature of relationship it has.
India has been taking a strong stance when it comes to Pakistan’s outreach to Hurriyat. In January this year, India summoned the Pakistani High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood after Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi spoke to Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.