India boycotts Pak National Day event as JK separatists are invited

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 22

The government on Friday boycotted Pakistan’s National Day celebrations both here and in Islamabad to protest the Pakistan High Commission’s invite to Jammu and Kashmir separatist leaders for the event.

“There has been no change in Pakistan’s ways,’’ said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Ravish Kumar while confirming India’s decision not to send any representative.

India is also miffed at Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi dialling up Hurriyat leaders last month ahead of an event organised in London to mark Islamabad’s support to the violence in Kashmir.

This is the first time New Delhi is boycotting the neighbouring country’s national day instead of the earlier trend of lodging a protest while sending an official representative for the event.

In the last three years, India has been represented at the Pakistan High Commission event by junior ministers such as Gen VK Singh, MJ Akbar and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

On March 23, the Muslim League had passed the Lahore resolution in 1940 calling for the formation of Pakistan and on the same day in 1956, Pakistan adopted its first constitution.