Pakistan has invited separatist leader Masarat Alam, who was released from jail earlier this month, to attend its National Day celebrations to be held in the national capital on Monday.
Alam has however refused to attend Pakistan Day celebrations.
Earlier this month, a huge political controversy had erupted over the release of Alam. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had even warned its new alliance partner in Jammu and Kashmir – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – to mend its ways.
Reports claimed that BJP had warned J&K Chief Minister and PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to either mend ways or the alliance will be called off.
The BJP top brass is angry over Masarat’s “unilateral” release by the PDP without consulting the party and warned that it will not allow any more such releases of separatists or militants.