Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has decided to cancel his visit to Switzerland where he was to attend the World Economic Forum in wake of the petrol shortage crisis in Pakistan.
Sources said that the cancellation of the PM’s visit was also aimed at a diplomatic snub to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi due to the recent Indian media reports suggesting that India was making efforts to change the status of Kashmir by annexing the disputing territory of Indian-occupied Kashmir.
“This cancellation of visit may be termed as a snub to Indian plans as Indian media has been claiming of a likely meeting between the two prime ministers on sidelines of the WEF moot at Davos,” a diplomat source said.
However, an official source said that there was no meeting planned between Sharif and Modi.
“Prime minister’s stay in Pakistan would ensure better inter-ministerial coordination between the ministries of water and power, petroleum and finance to overcome the fuel shortage crisis besides thwarting a looming power shortfall crisis due to shortage of furnace oil,” the source said.