Home Minister Rajnath Singh today skipped a lunch hosted by his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan after the host himself left the venue.
Khan had organised the lunch for the visiting dignitaries, who were here to attend the 7th SAARC Interior/Home Ministers' conference, and had scheduled it after the main meeting.
However, the Pakistani Interior Minister left the venue immediately after the meeting got over despite being the host of the lunch. Singh then took the decision to skip the lunch.
The Home Minister later had his lunch at his hotel room along with the members of the accompanying Indian delegation. After the lunch, Singh left for India.
The ongoing strain in Indo-Pak relations was also evident at the SAARC Interior/Home Ministers' conference here when Singh came face-to-face with Khan for the first time today and the two leaders barely shook hands.
As Singh arrived at the venue of the conference at the posh Serena Hotel here, Khan was at the gate to receive the dignitaries. The two leaders barely touched their hands, not even a formal handshake, before Singh moved ahead to enter the meeting hall.
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A Pakistani Interior Ministry official, when asked about Singh not attending the lunch, said that the Indian delegation had informed in the morning that the minister would leave after the first session which concluded at 1:30 PM.
"We were told that he has some important engagements back home," he said.
The Pakistani official also rejected any discrimination against Indian media, saying that even the Pakistani private media was also not allowed to cover the conference as only the official media was deputed for it.
