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Diplomatic etiquettes were never India’s strong suit. They have on countless occasions proven to be a bad sport. Take this recent incident for example. Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi hosted an Iftaar dinner on Tuesday evening but a lot of the invited guests couldn’t make it to the venue as they were harassed by the Indian security officials that included police and intelligence agency personnel.
According to the sources, they were interrogated unnecessarily and was asked personal questions, some of them were not even allowed to enter the premises and were forced to leave. Hence, only 67 guests out of the long list of 237 attended the dinner, reportedly.
The iftar dinner was hosted to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan and its blessings but also people from all walks of life. It was a gathering that was meant to include a diverse set of guests, mainly political personalities, community notables, sajjada nasheen of several Sufi shrines in India, writers, journalists, artists, Pakistani students, civil society activists, and other prominent personalities.
The video below shows several security officials surrounding a single car.
Pakistan High Commission hosts this iftaar dinner annually to celebrate the blessings of Ramadan and to promote the message of peace, harmony, and goodwill. Syed Haider Ali Shah who is the acting high commissioner welcomed the guests who were able to make it and conveyed the message of selflessness, sacrifice, and compassion that are instilled in a Muslim through observing fasts.
In the past, a similar incident has occurred where Indian forces demonstrated the same behavior. On March 23, 2019, when Pakistan day was set to be celebrated by the Pakistan High Commission the guests were asked personal details before allowing the access. Some of the esteemed guests that included senior journalists, former diplomats and academics were forced to turn back. This was the time when the situation between the two countries was quite heated post-Pulwama attack.
Fortunately, nothing much is expected of India. So, this news wouldn’t come off as a surprise as they see everyone remotely associated from Pakistan as a potential threat considering it is mostly India that initiates an assault. Have anything to add to the story, do share!
