Sri Lanka cancels Imran Khan's speech to its Parliament; visiting Pakistan PM embarrassed

Sri Lanka on Wednesday cancelled Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's dress to its Parliament during his official visit to island nation. According to sources, decision has been taken because of concerns that Imran Khan could rake up Kashmir issue. Imran Khan has a habit of parroting lies on Kashmir issue whenever he is presented with a global platform, especially since Indian Government's decision to scrap Article 370 in former state of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.

ANI has quoted a Sri Lankan newspaper saying that move may also have been an effort to ensure Imran Khan isn't granted parity with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who h dressed country's Parliament in 2015.

Imran's dress to SL Parliament cancelled

According to a report in Colombo Gazette, Sergeant-at-Arms of Parliament, Narendra Fernando said that Foreign Ministry h informed Parliament that Pakistan Prime Minister’s visit to Sri Lanka will go ahe as scheduled. Imran Khan will arrive in Sri Lanka on February 22 on a 2-day official state visit. 

Khan, who will be first he of state to visit country since Covid-19 pandemic, is to hold talks with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena during visit, report said. 

Last week, Imran Khan welcomed Sri Lanka’s assurance on burial of Muslim Coronavirus victims. Khan tweeted welcoming Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s assurance given in Parliament that Muslims will be allowed to bury those who died from Coronavirus.

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Imran Khan's visit, scheduled a months after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s three-day visit to Colombo, will coincide with early days of 46th UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva. Jaishankar visited Colombo over three months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa held a virtual summit during which two sides agreed to furr expand ties in a range of areas such as anti-terror cooperation, maritime security and tre and investment.

Last year, India h slammed Pakistan for politicising a humanitarian issue by raking up  Kashmir matter at a video conference between SAARC leers held with an aim to chalk out a joint strategy to fight  Coronavirus pandemic. "Pakistan sent ir Health Minister who was uncomfortable in speaking. He was given a slip. It's a churlish approach. This is a humanitarian issue and Pakistan tried to politicise humanitarian issue," news agency PTI quoted government sources as saying.

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