LoC tension: Amin Fahim calls off India visit
21 January, 2013
ISLAMABAD: 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 media persons here on Sunday 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. The directors general of military operations of both the sides recently decided to take steps to de-escalate tensions. Fahim and Commerce Secretary Munir Qureshi were scheduled to visit India during January 27-29 to participate in a Partnership Summit being organised in Agra. The Pakistani minister was invited to the meet by his Indian counterpart Anand Sharma. Fahim said the process had been delayed. End.
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