Valley leader invited to Pakistan Day function

For the first time in 20 years, Pakistan has invited a mainstream leader from India to join the Pakistan Day celebrations at its high commission.

Sheikh Abdul Rasheed aka Engineer Rasheed, an independent MLA from Langate constituency in Kupwara, has been invited to join the celebrations on March 23 in Delhi.

“Assembly is in the session and if I will get time I will certainly go to Pakistani high commission. It is my firm belief that if we have to resolve the Kashmir issue, all of us have to move together to find a solution,” Rasheed said.

Few years ago chief minister Omar Abdullah, who was then an MP, and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti visited Islamabad on two different occasions, but they were not officially invited to join any national functions of Pakistan.

It has been a ritual to invite separatists to join the Pakistan Day celebrations in Delhi. However, this year Pakistan has taken a departure from the past and invited sitting MLA to join the celebration.