India on Wednesday summoned Pakistani envoy Abdul Basit to register a strong protest over the alleged last-minute cancellation of an event of Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale in Karachi yesterday.
Bambawale, who is on his first visit to Karachi after assuming charge in January this year, was told about the cancellation "just half an hour before the event, invite for which was received and accepted by him a couple of weeks ago", PTI quoted sources.
The Karachi Chamber of Commerce, the organisers of the event, did not give a reason immediately for the cancellation. However, the Indian officials feel that Bambawale's comments on Pakistan's interference in Kashmir which was India's internal matter "rattled the Pakistani authorities here, prompting a cancellation".
"This is very disrespectful on the part of the organisers," officials asserted.
On Monday, during an interactive session organised by the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations, Bambawale had taken a swipe at Pakistan over its interference in Kashmir, saying people living in glass houses should not be throwing stones at others.
