India hits back at Pak, says does not need ‘lecture’

Janjivan Bureau
New Delhi: Responding to Islamabad’s statement over the ‘disruption of events organised for prominent Pakistani personalities in India’, the Centre lashed out saying it does not need a ‘lecture’ as the hostile neighbour is not an ’embodiment of tolerance’.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office had earlier today expressed its concern over the protests against Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri and Ghulam Ali and had asked New Delhi indirectly to take steps to prevent a repeat of such incidents.
According to government sources, India hit back by saying that the Hurriyat being projected as a third party in the Kashmir issue by Pakistan would not be tolerated.
India was open for NSA level talks in New York, Pakistan was not. India was adherent to agenda agreed upon in Ufa, Pak was not, the sources added.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said, “We have noted with concern attempts to disrupt functions organised in respect of prominent Pakistani personalities on visit to India.”
“Recently, a cultural event in Mumbai by Pakistani maestro Mr. Ghulam Ali was cancelled because of threats from a fundamentalist organisation,” the Foreign Office said in an apparent reference to the right-wing Shiv Sena.
The statement further added, “Attempts were also made to disrupt a function in Mumbai organized for Mr. Khurshid Kasuri, former Foreign Minister of Pakistan.”
The Foreign Office said it was important to ensure that such incidents do not take place again.