New Delhi: Pakistan High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, on Monday said that he appreciated the presence of Minister of State for External Affairs and General (Retd.) VK Singh at the Pakistan Day celebrations at the Islamic Republic`s High Commission.
"He (VK Singh) was our chief guest and we appreciated his presence," he said.
General (Retd.) Singh had earlier, in a series of tweets, used the words `duty` and `disgust`, hours after being deputed to attend the celebrations.
While no direct references were made, speculations stated that he was upset at being asked to be present at a function with Hurriyat leaders, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, among others.
However, MEA official spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said that General (Retd.) Singh was asked to represent India and added that similar instances also happened in the past.