National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah Sunday saidthe harassment of guests at an Iftar party hosted by the Indian High Commissionin Islamabad was “stupid tit for tat diplomacy”.
“Stupid tit for tat diplomacy. It was stupid when we did itoutside the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi & it’s stupid when it’sdone outside our’s in Islamabad. Now that it’s 1-1 perhaps it’s time to move on& stop this nonsense,” Omar wrote on Twitter.
Guests invited to the Indian High Commission’s Iftar partyin Islamabad on Saturday evening faced “unprecedented level of harassment”due to enhanced security checks by the Pakistani officials who stopped someinvitees on one pretext or other.
Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria hosted the annualevent at Serena Hotel for which guests were invited from all over Pakistan.
Those attending the event said that additional securitydeployment was made around the luxury hotel.
A journalist said that he saw more than usual securitypresence but those having invitation cards and identity documents were allowedto attend.
“My invitation card was checked and I was askedquestions about profession and residence, and allowed to go in,” he said.
“Unprecedented level of harassment at @serena_hotelsIslamabad. #India embassy iftaar happening & police & anti terrorismforce misbehaving with anyone trying into get in the hotel. Got screamed at, mydriver abused. Sorry, not being an entitled prick. This was genuineharassment,” tweeted noted journalist Mehreen Zahra-Malik.
Another journalist, on condition of anonymity, told PTI thathe did not attend as he feared about questioning and security checks.
He also said that there were reports that some invitees werecalled by anonymous callers and told not to attend the event.
Senior Pakistan People’s Party leader Farhatullah Babar saidthat every gaze deflected towards odd visitors in hotel’s lobby.
“Came to Serena for iftar hosted by Indian HC. Hotelseems barricaded. Told that iftar cancelled. When insisted, I was told to useother gate. Other gate also closed and told to go back to front gate again.What’s going on, something fishy,” he tweeted.
Babar said that he somehow managed to attend the Indianmission’s iftar despite efforts by the local authorities to stop invitees onone pretext or other.
High Commissioner Bisaria in his brief address to theaudience said that some of the guests could not make to the party.
Bisaria also said that people had come from Lahore andKarachi to attend the event and thanked them for attending.