Qureshi makes light of no invitation for PM to Modi’s oath-taking

Karachi: Pakistan has played down a decision by the Indian government not to invite Prime Minister Imran Khan to Thursday’s swearing-in ceremony of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, saying India’s ‘internal politics’ did not permit him to extend an invitation.
“His [Modi’s] entire focus [during the election campaign] was on Pakistan-bashing. It was unwise to expect that he can get rid of this narrative [soon],” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a news channel in the evening.
Earlier, a Reuters report had said New Delhi would not invite PM Khan to Mr Modi’s oath-taking ceremony.
An Indian government statement said the leaders of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan — all members of the little-known Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Econo¬mic Cooperation — had been invited to Modi’s swearing-in.