Indian HC doesn’t see change in Pak-India ties for now

Islamabad : Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria has said that trajectory and approach of ties of India with Pakistan couldn’t see much change in the wake of general elections in India till the turn of year. He expressed the hope that the trajectory could be positive in the meantime.

The high commissioner was talking to The News here at the iftar dinner hosted by Aziz Boolani chief executive of a local hotel on Wednesday.The Indian high commissioner said that the rhetoric of election campaign does subside once the campaign is over, but it takes some time. The tempers are high on both the side of the frontiers. He reminded that the airspace that was closed down by Pakistan in February in the aftermath of showdown between the two countries is still closed while India had restored it after two days.

It has been speculated that Pakistan would open it by May 30. It is causing loss to the both countries and above all the travelers. He said that the outcome of Indian polls would be known later next week and in between nothing could be guessed about it since mood of the masses cannot be predicted. The Indian high commissioner and his British counterpart Thomas Drew also had meeting with Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood.

In a brief chat with the newsmen, Thomas Drew, who was happy about the performance of his cricket team against Pakistan earlier evening on British ground said it will help both the teams to prepare better for upcoming cricket world cup. To a query the high commissioner maintained that it is easier to communicate with Pakistan than other countries of the region which had been colony of Great Britain. Meanwhile, sudden flight of dollar and devaluation of rupee in currency market immediate after concluding agreement with the IMF and prevailing uncertainty was the top in order of discussions in the course of the iftar dinner by the guests.

It was an impressive gathering where ambassadors/high commissioners of about 50 countries turned up, including a few representing non-Muslim states.

Among the guests Islamabad Mayor Ansar Aziz Sheikh, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, leader of House in Senate Shibli Faraz, state minister Hamad Azhar, his economic team members Dr Khaqan Najeeb and Haroon Sharif, Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC) chief executive General Azhar Mahmood Kaiani, former Foreign Secretaries Salman Bashir and Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhary, Luqman Afzal Monal, Foreign Office spokesman Dr Faisal Chaudhry, former ambassador Ghalib Iqbal, additional Foreign Secretaries Zahir Aslam Janjua and Aftab Khokhar, DIG security Islamabad Waqar Chohan were conspicuous among the guests. The fellow guests felicitated Luqman Afzal Monal on bestowing of Pride of Performance.