Pak Commerce Body Snubs Indian Envoy Gautam Bambawale, Cancels Karachi Event

Karachi: The Karachi Chamber of Commerce today cancelled an event of Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale at the last minute apparently over his remarks on Pakistan's interference in Kashmir.

Mr Bambawale, who is on his first visit to Karachi after assuming charge in January this year, was told about the cancellation "just half an hour before the event, invite for which was received and accepted by him a couple of weeks ago", sources said.

The organisers did not give a reason immediately for the cancellation.

However, the Indian officials feel that Mr Bambawale's comments on Monday on Pakistan's interference in Kashmir "rattled the Pakistani authorities here, prompting a cancellation".

"This is very disrespectful on the part of the organisers," officials asserted.

On Monday, during an interactive session organised by the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations, Mr Bambawale had taken a swipe at Pakistan over its interference in Kashmir, saying people living in glass houses should not be throwing stones at others.

"There are problems in both India and Pakistan and you (Pakistan) should focus on resolving your problems before looking into the problems of other countries," he had said.