Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will skip the upcoming South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Finance Ministers’ conference in Pakistan, unnamed government officials told ANI on Tuesday. Instead, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das will represent India at the two-day event in Islamabad on August 25 and 26.
The decision was reportedly taken keeping in mind the way Pakistan treated Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh when he had visited the neighbouring country for a SAARC ministerial meeting earlier this month. During his visit, Singh brought up the topic of terrorism and urged all SAARC members not to glorify militants. His speech was allegedly ‘blacked out’ in the country.
However, this time Pakistan has maintained that it will play a “good host” to Jaitley. According to PTI, Islamabad has promised a “warm welcome” to the finance minister.
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