Home > News > Indo-Pak Peace Talk > PTI

How a change of clothes hit Indo-Pak ties

November 13, 2003 02:48 IST
Last Updated: November 13, 2003 03:56 IST


It was President Gen Pervez Musharraf's decision to go in for change of clothes that eventually prevented India and Pakistan from signing a joint declaration at the end of the historic Agra Summit.

"President Musharraf went to his room only to change as both countries had agreed to the joint declaration. When he came back, the Indian mood had changed," Pakistan's Information Minister Sheikh Rashid told reporters in Delhi on Wednesday.

"I am not lying nor is President Musharraf in the habit of lying," he added.

Also Read


No hope for Indo-Pak ties after Vajpayee: Rashid


"Musharraf had gone to change so that he looked good in the photographs," Rashid said and added, "But next time, I think no Pakistani ruler will dare to change his clothes when such an important event is taking place."

When told that India, unlike Pakistan, was a democracy and even the prime minister needed to consult his cabinet colleagues, Rashid remarked, "(Atal Bihari) Vajpayee is no kid and he knows what he is doing."

Rashid, in India in connection with the third SAARC Information Ministers' Conference, expressed a desire to visit his ancestral home in Jammu and Kashmir.

"I am a native of Zaindar Mohalla in Habbakadal (a locality in Srinagar) and we have our ancestral home there. I wanted to go there but at the same time, I do not want to put my hosts in a difficult situation," Rashid said. He has faint memories of his home but no knowledge of where his relatives are.

However, the government has not received a formal request from Rashid in this connection.

During his visit to India for the Agra Summit, President Musharraf had visited his ancestral home in Daryaganj, Delhi.

Article Tools

Email this Article

Printer-Friendly Format

Letter to the Editor





People Who Read This Also Read


Don't support Pakistan, US told

Fencing of Bangladesh border

India, Russia focus on terrorism






Indo-Pak Peace Talk: The Complete Coverage

© Copyright 2003 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.




Share your comments


 What do you think about the story?




Read what others have to say:


Number of User Comments: 8




Sub: Mr. Rashid

Why is this man making so much of noise. Secondly, why media is paying him so much attention. All of the non-Sindhi and non-Punjabi and ...


Posted by Vinay Soman





Sub: Rediff's Poor Standards

I think rediff has to hire nice professionals who could write sense. I have seen a lot of crap from rediff now a days, which ...


Posted by shankar





Sub: Agra Summit Failure

This is yet another case of the military rulers giving priority to their personal needs over their nation's needs. It also confirms that opportunities do ...


Posted by Mukesh Varma





Sub: Agra failure - stupid utterances

My assessment about the paki minister is that his IQ would be much lower than my 4 yr old son's. What kind of assessment on ...


Posted by Suresh Ramasami





Sub: story

All stories.. This paki minister had a bright future as story teller! My kind advice to rediff is not to publish these stories and waste ...


Posted by ravi




Disclaimer







Copyright © 2003 rediff.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved.