Islamabad, April 17: Pakistan on Tuesday rejected as "falsehood" the Indian charge of "attempts to incite Sikh pilgrims" to raise the issue of Khalistan.
Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammed Faisal "categorically rejected Indian allegations" in a series of tweets, a day after India summoned Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner and lodged a strong protest over attempts being made to raise the Khalistan issue during the visit of Sikh pilgrims to that country.
"By spreading such falsehoods, India stokes the controversy regarding visit of Sikh pilgrims, attending the Baisakhi and Khalsa ceremonies in Pakistan," tweeted Faisal.
He said: "Pakistan welcomes Hindu and Sikh pilgrims from all over the world, including India. Pakistan has made arrangements to extend maximum facilitation to the visiting Sikh pilgrims during their visits to sacred places in Pakistan."
According to the Indian External Affairs Ministry, around 1,800 Sikh pilgrims have been travelling to Pakistan from April 12 under a bilateral agreement on facilitating visits to religious shrines.
India, on Sunday, protested to the Pakistan foreign office that visiting Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan were not allowed to meet the Indian high commissioner and other Indian diplomats. MEA said Indian diplomats were forced to turn back when they went to meet the pilgrims at the Punja Sahib gurudwara.
India called it "inexplicable diplomatic discourtesy", pointing out that this amounted to a "clear violation of the Vienna Convention of 1961, the bilateral Protocol to visit Religious Shrines, 1974 and the Code of Conduct (for the treatment of diplomatic/consular personnel in India and Pakistan) of 1992".
Faisal tweeted that Pakistn "remain committed to continuing such cooperation, which is in line with our religious ethos, traditions of hospitality, and provisions of the 1974 Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines. No amount of Indian propaganda could succeed in turning this right into a wrong," tweeted Faisal.
He further said that India "should respect international and inter-state norms, respect all religions, especially minorities, and refrain from indulging in pointless provocation which only vitiates an already charged environment to the detriment of all".
Pakistan categorically rejects Indian allegations of “attempts to incite Indian pilgrims” on the issue of ‘Khalistan.’ By spreading such falsehoods, India stokes the controversy regarding visit of Sikh pilgrims, attending the Baisakhi and Khalsa ceremonies in Pakistan 1/7
— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@DrMFaisal) April 17, 2018
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Buddha Air flight makes emergency landing at Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport
Kathmandu, Jan 6: A Buddha Air flight with 76 people on board made an emergency landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) here in Nepal after experiencing a left engine flameout.
The flight BHA953, en route to Chandragadi, departed from the TIA at 10:37 am local time.
It experienced a left engine flameout and subsequently initiated a VOR (Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range) approach to Kathmandu at 11:15 am, according to a press release circulated by the Tribhuvan International Airport and Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.
There were 72 passengers and 4 crew members on board.
Taking to X, Buddha Air said: “Flight number 953 from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur, with call sign 9N-AJS, was diverted back to Kathmandu after a technical issue was detected in the right engine. The aircraft safely landed at Tribhuvan International Airport at 11:15 AM.”
“Our technical team is currently inspecting the aircraft. Arrangements are being made to send the passengers to Bhadrapur on another flight," it said.
The TIA temporarily halted other operations during the landing of the Buddha Air flight.
काठमाडौंबाट भद्रपुर उडान नं. 953, जहाज कल साईन 9N-AJS, मा दायाँ इञ्जिनमा प्राविधिक समस्या देखिएको हुँदा जहाजलाई पुनः काठमाडौं डाईभर्ट गरि 11:15 मा त्रिभुवन विमानस्थलमा सुरक्षित अवतरण गराईएको छ । जहाजलाई हाम्रा टेक्निकल टिमले चेकजाँच गरिरहेका छन् ।
— Buddha Air (@AirBuddha) January 6, 2025
यात्रुहरुलाई अर्को जहाजबाट…
