Home Minister Rajnath Singh also did not attend the lunch.
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Members of the Indian media, which came from New Delhi to report the conference, were not allowed to capture the moment and was kept at a distance by Pakistani officials, which led to a verbal dual between a senior Indian official and a Pakistani official.
“Government has stated that Pakistan’s recent official statements of glorification and support to the terrorist, who was a “commander” in the banned terrorist organisation Hizbul Mujahideen and carried an amount of Rs 10 lakh on his head on account of heinous crimes, including murder of elected representatives of local bodies and security forces/personnel, reflect Pakistan’s continued attachment to terrorism and its usages as an instrument of state policy”, Singh said.
“(This is the) Pakistan model of democracy”, ANI quoted Union minister Venkaiah Naidu as saying over the media blackout of Singh’s speech in Pakistan.
About 50 people have been killed since the protests erupted after Wani’s killing on July 8.
At a rally in Lahore, Hafiz Saeed lashed out at Pakistan government’s decision to “welcome” Mr Singh.
India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence over Kashmir, which each rules in part but claims in full. Emphasising that Kashmir is “not an internal matter” of India, he said, “Today, Kashmir is witnessing a new wave of freedom movement”.
The development is not much of a surprise as Singh had said before he left that he intends to speak about how the regional players should cooperate against terrorism.
Rajnath Singh arrived here on Wednesday evening, amid anti-India protests organised by terror groups, including the United Jehad Council – a militant amalgam of groups fighting in Kashmir but based in Pakistan.
Only Pakistan state PTV was allowed to cover introductory speeches of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan. The Home Minister later had his lunch at his hotel room along with the members of the accompanying Indian delegation.
The Interior/Home Ministers’ of SAARC nations were with Sharif for about 20 minutes during which only pleasantries were exchanged, the official said, adding nothing formal was discussed.
The home minister said without naming Burhan Wani that, “There should be no glorification or eulogising of terrorists as martyrs”.
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Pakistan’s PM Sharif cited anti-terror operations and National Action Plan to emphasise “the government’s determination to eliminate the scourge of terrorism from our soil for good”.
