Pak commerce minister cancels India visit
January 20, 2013 17:27
Pakistan Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim has called off a scheduled visit to India to attend a business meet later in January, against the backdrop of tensions between the two countries over ceasefire violations along the Line of Control.
Fahim told the media that he had decided against travelling to India as the business meet would clash with an upcoming meeting between a government team and cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, who had led a massive protest against the ruling Pakistan People's Party last week.
He said that as one of the signatories of the agreement between the government and Qadri, he had to attend the meeting to be held in Lahore on January 27 to discuss the cleric's demands.
However, official sources said Fahim's decision was linked to the spike in tensions between India and Pakistan over a string of clashes along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir that left two Indian soldiers dead, while Pakistan claimed that three of its soldiers were killed.
Fahim told the media that he had decided against travelling to India as the business meet would clash with an upcoming meeting between a government team and cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, who had led a massive protest against the ruling Pakistan People's Party last week.
He said that as one of the signatories of the agreement between the government and Qadri, he had to attend the meeting to be held in Lahore on January 27 to discuss the cleric's demands.
However, official sources said Fahim's decision was linked to the spike in tensions between India and Pakistan over a string of clashes along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir that left two Indian soldiers dead, while Pakistan claimed that three of its soldiers were killed.
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