Islamabad : The 100th Afghan Victory Day that was observed here in a reception at a local hotel by Afghan embassy on Wednesday evening gave a festive look since the children in colourful costumes presented songs of various areas of their country.
It was a mix gathering where the guests kept on discussing the future of Taliban-US relationship and possibility of resumption of peace talks. The ties between Pakistan and India in the backdrop of dreadful developments in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) was another topic on which the guests had candid discussion.
Few guests kept asking questions about the sagacity of the incumbent government that has arrested opposition stalwart Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah belonging to interior Sindh ahead of the departure of prime minister first Saudi Arabia and later to Untied States from there where he will agitate Kashmir issue before the world leaders in the United Nations with the message of complete harmony and unity at home on the issue of Kashmir.
Khurshid Shah is known for his nobility and humility who earlier served as leader of the opposition in the National Assembly for long five years. He was federal minister before that. The Foreign Office designated controversial federal minister Murad Saeed to act as chief guest in the reception. He is known for his frequent obnoxious observations about political adversaries.
Afghan Ambassador Shukrullah Atif Mashal delivered his speech in English while the chief guest spoke in Pashtu and number of the guests couldn’t follow him.
The embassy had also set up stalled outside the rendezvous of the reception to showcase industrial output in Afghanistan and handicrafts of that country. Acting Indian High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia and Indian mission’s officers turned up in the reception in good number. Gaurav Ahluwalia came to the media corner to gather its impression about the developments in Kashmir but he had to face volley of questions. To a question he maintained with loud laughter that Pakistan and India will never have active war. He conceded that curfew is in place since August 5 and the situation is under control. He confessed that cell phone, landlines and internet services are not functioning.
To a query he said that thirty thousand security personnel are deployed in the valley for maintenance of peace and order but he claimed that two persons have lost their lives after August 5.
The acting high commissioner was not sure that Kartarpur corridor will be opened on the stipulated schedule and what number of Sikhs will be able to avail the facility for crossing once it is opened.
The portraits of Afghan President Dr. Ashraf Ghani were displayed in the hall where the reception was arranged and huge portraits of founder of independent Afghanistan Ghazi Amanullah and red-shirt movement founder Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan were placed on the entrance of the reception.
The reception was started with the plying of national anthems of the two countries while proceedings started with the recitation from the Holy Quran. Beef and mutton wasn’t served in the food while delicious and sweet Afghan fruits were made available in abundance. Interestingly diplomats and envoys of other countries tuned up in limited number.