Indian Journalist Received Derogatory Treatment In Islamabad’s SAARC Summit

New Delhi : Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh received an insulting treatment when he attended the recently concluded SAARC Summit held in Islamabad, provoking strong and aggrieved reactions from India. The Indian journalists accompanying the Home minister were also refused entry into the inaugural event.

Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh in his speech at the SAARC Summit raised concerns of terrorism and demanded an action against any country supporting and harbouring terrorists. Rajnath Singh also emphasised that a terrorist for one country cannot be a respected person or a martyr for another. Most of the key points in speech were directed towards Pakistan sponsoring terrorism, hence the speech was censored.

Pakistan is being criticised for censorship of Indian Home Minister speech and also denying access to the Indian journalists. All the Indian journalists were flatly refused entry to the inaugural function and were not even allowed to stand near the entrance where the Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan was receiving the visiting dignitaries. Just before the arrival of Rajnath Singh, Pakistani officials curtly told the Indian journalists to leave the place denying them even a photograph to capture the moment of handshake. The Indian Journalists were denied to cover the event and forced to shut of their cameras. The Pakistani official even blocked the view of Indian journalists and soon the reporters and camera persons were surrounded by several personnel, apparently Pakistani policemen. India’s officials have demanded an explanation on this from their Pakistani counterpart triggering a verbal confrontation.

As per the SAARC protocol, the actual proceedings of the Summit are conducted in-camera though journalists of all the member-countries are allowed to attend the inauguration function of the Summit. However this was not to be in Islamabad. Pakistani officials have propagated a false report through their media that the Indian Home Minister left the conference abruptly to attend a telephonic conversation.