Pakistan Senate Chairman cancels UAE trip over Modi’s visit

Islamabad: Pakistan Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani has decided to cancel his pre-scheduled trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent trip to the Gulf nation, a media report said on Sunday.

The Senate chairman’s visit to the UAE would hurt the feelings of the Kashmiri people; therefore, he has decided to cancel his and a parliamentary delegation’s visit to the country, The Express Tribune said in its report citing an informed sources as saying.

Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan ever since New Delhi on August 5 revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and divided it into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Modi, who is on a tri-nation tour to France, the UAE and Bahrain, had reached Abu Dhabi on Friday.

On Saturday, he was conferred the UAE’s highest civilian honour, the “Order of Zayed”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, the UK’s Queen Elizabeth II and Chinese President Xi Jinping have previously been honoured with this honour.