Sources said that a service chief who represents the three services, according to the rotational principle followed by the defence chiefs, for ceremonial welcomes has the option of either saluting the dignitary or shaking hands with him. The Air Chief Marshal was in the front row of dignitaries to be introduced to the Pakistani President after the inter-services guard of honour.

While refusing to comment on the action of the Chief of Air Staff, IAF spokesman, Squadron Leader Rajesh Kumar Dhingra, said: “There was normal exchange of greetings and niceties between General Musharraf and Air Chief Marshal Tipnis”.

Sources said General Musharraf was much junior to Air Chief Marshal Tipnis in the services herarchy and it would have been against the tradition for a senior officer to salute a junior officer first.

General Musharraf, while being the Army Chief had also refused to participate in the ceremony when Mr Vajpayee made the bus journey to Lahore two years ago.

There was much speculation before the reception as to how he would greet the man, who is also seen in India as the mastermind of the Kargil conflict.

Another noticeable sidelight was the choice of strapping six-foot-tall Wing Commander Pawan Rishi from the communications squadron to lead the inter-services guard of honour and escort General Musharraf to inspect the 150-strong defence forces contingent.

The selection of a tall parade commander was, according to a section of the media, made deliberately so that the visiting General would have to look up to him at the end of the guard of honour while taking the salute.

But that actually was not possible as the General was at a distance from the officer after the guard of honour was over.

After the ceremonial welcome, when President Narayanan escorted General Musharraf and introduced the assembled dignitaries to him, Home Minister L.K. Advani also avoided shaking hands with him.

He ignored the Pakistani leader’s proffered hand and instead offered the traditional ‘namaste’ to him.