Islamabad/New Delhi: The Indian High Commission in Islamabad celebrated the 73rd Independence Day Thursday with great enthusiasm with the hoisting of the Indian Tricolour in the mission premises.
Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria, who was expelled by Pakistan over revocation by India of Kashmir’s special status, said the “flag will keep flying over” the Indian mission.
The Indian High Commission in Islamabad tweeted: “The 73rd #IndependanceDay of India was celebrated with great enthusiasm at the High Commission of India in Pakistan. Charge d’affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia unfurled the National Flag and read out the President’s message,” it said, tagging Bisaria, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office.
Bisaria, who arrived in New Delhi earlier this week after he was expelled, tweeted: “And the flag will keep flying over @IndiainPakistan.”
The Indian High Commission posted pictures of its staff, around 50 men attired in black bandh-gala suits, and nine women in sarees, with some children — all were holding their hand aloft making the ‘V’ sign.
The presence of the entire staff at the Independence Day function also comes as Pakistani media was running unsubstantiated stories saying that 13 staff of the Indian High Commission had left Islamabad along with their families following deterioration of bilateral ties over Article 370’s revocation.
The Ministry of External Affairs had denied that any staff member had left, saying some had gone home to celebrate Eid.
