An “India Show” organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) kicked off in Lahore on Saturday, as anti-India groups gathered in Karachi to hold a massive rally under the banner of Defence of Pakistan, according to a Zee News report.
Nearly 150 Indian companies are exhibiting their products at the show in Lahore. As part of the ‘India Show’, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma will walk in from the Wahga border on February 13, marking the first ever visit by an Indian commerce and industry minister to Pakistan. Sharma will be accompanied by an 80-member business delegation that will visit Islamabad and Karachi to interact with local businessmen.
But not far in Karachi, anti-India groups gathered under the chairmanship of Maulana Samiul Haq, to plan an anti-India rally for today (Sunday). Prominent among them is Hafiz Saeed of the Jamaatud Dawa and Laskhar-e-Tayyaba, the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai 26/11 attacks. Posters and banners for the February 12 rally in Karachi have already come up. A JuD press release said: “Arrangements for the Difa-e-Pakistan conference are in full swing and central leaders of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) have reached Karachi in this connection.” The group’s 10-point agenda includes “full support to “fighting in Occupied Kashmir”.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s spokesperson has denied that he will take part in the rally. Also part of this anti-India and anti-US grouping are former officials of the Pakistan Defence Ministry, four star army generals and admirals. In an earlier rally, Samiul Haq had said, “We will not let this government negotiate with India and the US who are the greatest enemies of Pakistan.” Politicians of the ruling party or the opposition in either Sindh or Punjab rarely challenge the anti-India statements for fear of retribution from extremist elements.
‘India Show’ in Lahore, anti-India in Karachi
