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Hurriyat episode may have spoilt
the fun for Pakistan delegation

The ministry of home affairs on Tuesday indicated that it was expecting the Pakistani government to adopt a tough posture on non-official programmes to express displeasure over having to concede to New Delhi's request that President Pervez Musharraf not meet Hurriyat leaders.

"We have reasons to believe that having agreed to our request that the Gen Musharraf refrain from meeting Hurriyat leaders (during his India visit), the Pakistani leadership might stick to strict official business and cut short non-official programmes to give vent to their displeasure," a senior MHA official told rediff.com.

He pointed out that this was why Islamabad had not yet approved Gen Musharraf's Indian itinerary, which the MEA said is still being worked out.

However, with the arrival on Monday of the advance party from Pakistan to finalise details of the Vajpayee-Musharraf summit, the wheels have been set in motion.

An MEA official pointed out that the Pakistani chief of protocol Khalid Habib and his Indian counterpart Manveer Singh would begin the discussions on Tuesday, in Hyderabad House.

Gen Musharraf's brief visit to his birthplace in Old Delhi appears to be uncertain because the two officials were yet to visit the place, and are not likely to do so either.

Nevertheless, the MHA official said that 'our Pakistani guests would be accorded a warm and cordial welcome and lavish hospitality'.

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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