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Home  » News » Indian MPs unhappy over Pak govt's silence

Indian MPs unhappy over Pak govt's silence

By K J M Varma in Islamabad
June 23, 2003 22:57 IST
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The Indian Parliamentary delegation visiting Pakistan on Monday said they were intrigued by the total lack of response from the Pakistan government to their visit.

But they also said their visit was a great success for promoting peace and people to people contacts.

"There is no doubt the response is overwhelming. We have been treated with utmost respect, love and affection. People have gone out of the way to extend the hand of friendship," delegation leader Kuldip Nayyar said while interacting with the Indian media in Islamabad, along with other members of the team.

"But there was no direct or indirect message from government of Pakistan," he said. "We are not aware what is their agenda is. Seven of us from different political parties came from India and they have deliberately kept away."

The 'official silence' Nayyar said is more confounding as Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Muhmood Kasuri, whom he knows personally for long time, did not call up to greet him.

However, the delegation, which left for Karachi from where they would return home, was happy that acting President of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Sumroo hosted an official dinner. "But there was no interaction."

Nayyar believes that the steady silence from the Pakistan government was a tit for tat response to the Indian government's treatment of Pakistan MP's delegation, which visited India last month.

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K J M Varma in Islamabad
Source: PTI© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.