The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday summoned Pakistan envoy Abdul Basit after the Karachi Chamber of Commerce's last-minute cancellation of an event on Tuesday where Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale was supposed to deliver a speech. The ministry has conveyed its displeasure to Basit for the "discourtesy" extended to Bambawale in Karachi, spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, according to PTI.
Government officials said the chamber had informed Bambawale that the function had been cancelled "just half an hour before the event" and had not given any reason for it. "This is very disrespectful on the part of the organisers," an Indian official told The Times of India.
The event was reportedly cancelled because Bambawale was supposed to speak on Pakistan's interference in matters related to Jammu and Kashmir. On Monday, the Indian envoy had criticised the neighbouring country for commenting on the unrest in the Valley. "There are problems in both India and Pakistan, and you [Pakistan] should focus on resolving your problems before looking into the problems of other countries," he had said, according to NDTV.
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