NEW DELHI : Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s visit to attend Finance Ministers’ conference of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in Islamabad next week is unlikely to happen in view of the current strain in India-Pakistan relations over Kashmir.
Though there is no official word on the matter, it is believed that going by the experience of the recent visit of Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Islamabad, the decision on sending Mr Jaitley to Pakistan will not come easily.
However, it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will take a final call on issue Finance Ministers of SAARC are to meet on the 25th and 26th in Islamabad.
SAARC has eight South Asian countries as members. During Home Minister’s visit not only there was a media blackout, but heated words of exchanges took place between the Indian and Pakistani officials which even resulted in cancellation of lunch by the Indian Home Minister.
Sources said that despite reports from Pakistan that Mr Jaitley would be accorded a ‘warm welcome’ if he participates in the SAARC ministerial conference in Islamabad, it is unlikely that the Finance Minister will finally make it to summit.
Sources added that in place of Finance Minister, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das may represent India at the two-day summit. before Mr Singh visit to Pakistan for SAARC Home Ministers summit, the similar assurance was made, but it turned out to be a tense 24 hours for him in Islamabad.
He was snubbed by his counterpart Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. Not only this, Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif publicly spoke of “the freedom movement” in Kashmir in Mr Singh’s presence to provoke India.
The recent spell of tension between two countries started after Pakistan glorified slain terrorist Burhaan Bani as “martyr” and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gave statement saying that Kashmir was not India’s internal matter and his Government would mobilise International opinion against India over the issue.
The war of words between two countries further intensified after yesterday’s Independence Day speech of the Prime Minister in which he for the first time flagged the issue of human right violation in Balochistan. (AGENCIES)
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