Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale told The Hindu on Tuesday that “a final decision” on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Pakistan for November’s SAARC summit was still awaited.
The comments come after the envoy’s remarks in Karachi on Monday indicated that India had confirmed Mr. Modi’s visit.
Clarifying his comments reported in Pakistani media, Mr. Bambawale said, “We have accepted the date (for the PM’s visit for SAARC summit) but (I) also said that a final decision is still to be made.”
Following the comments in Karachi, a senior official source here told The Hindu , “There has been no decision regarding Prime Minister Modi’s visit as of now,” indicating that Mr. Bambawale might have revealed an official decision prematurely.
In a clarification, a senior MEA source told The Hindu that India has not changed its position on the participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the SAARC summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad in November this year in the last one month. The comments came in response to remarks made by Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Gauam Bambawale on Monday that the Prime Minister was ‘looking forward’ to the visit.
“I can’t say about the future but as of today, Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi is looking forward to visiting Islamabad for the SAARC summit in November this year,” Mr Bambawale was quoted as saying in Pakistan daily Dawn. He was speaking at an event organised by the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations (KCFR).
On August 18, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson had spoken on the possibility of Mr Modi’s visit and said, “As far as the Prime Minister’s visit to Pakistan for the SAARC Summit is concerned, you would appreciate that decisions and announcements of such nature are not made much far in advance.”
Mr Modi’s participation at the SAARC summit had been in doubt following the cold reception of Home Minister Rajnath Singh on August 6 in Islamabad, during a meeting of SAARC home ministers.
Adding to tensions, the Karachi Chamber of Commerce cancelled the High Commissioner’s second speech in the city just an hour prior to the event.
Adviser on Foreign Affairs for the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Sartaj Aziz had delivered the invitation for Mr. Modi to attend the summit.
Growing chill
But, subsequent high level interaction between the two sides indicated a lack of warmth.
Following Mr. Singh’s visit to Islamabad, India cancelled Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s visit to Islamabad to participate in the ministerial of SAARC.
The war of words spread to the G20 summit when Mr Modi obliquely referred to Pakistan and said terrorism in South Asia is supported by “one single nation”.
Pakistan said it was India which was spreading cross border instability in South Asia. Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan told The Hindu , “Indian intelligence agency RAW’s officer, Kulbhushan Yadav’s public confession, makes a clear reference that country in South Asia.”
