Chandigarh, December 13
Pakistan Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif’s much-awaited visit to Punjab was cancelled today owing to dignitary’s ill-health. Sharif’s Principal Secretary rang up Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s Principal Secretary this morning informing him that Sharif was unable to travel due to backache and that he had been advised rest.

The sudden cancellation of Sharif’s visit has come as a setback for the state government and those organising the event. Observers, including the organisers, feel politics is behind the cancellation of visit.

Sharif’s minute-to-minute programme, including his crossing over at the Wagah border, parade inspection and even what he was to eat, had been finalised after due consultation with the Pakistan Punjab government.

The cancellation caught the state organisers off guard both at Amritsar, where arrangements had been made at the Wagah border, and Chandigarh, from where Public Relations Minister Bikram Singh Majithia was to fly to Amritsar for Sharif’s welcome.

Sources said Sharif had first insisted on returning back to Pakistan by December 16. But after getting an appointment with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, he extended his stay till December 17 and even planned on visiting Nizamuddin Auliya’s ‘dargah’.

Sources said political rivalry between the Pakistan government and the provincial government in Punjab could be one of the reasons behind the cancellation of Sharif’s visit.

They pointed out that Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s visit to India to operationalise the liberalised visa agreement between the two countries had been finalised from December 14 to 16 and would have coincided with Sharif’s visit to India.

The fact that Sharif was able to procure an appointment with the Prime Minister and that Malik’s appointment was yet to be finalised could have also led to friction in Pakistan, where both Rehman and Sharif belong to opposing parties, the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (N), respectively. The Pakistan government was wary of Sharif scoring brownie points during his visit to Punjab and Delhi, sources added.

Sources in the Punjab Government said the government would not lose money on account of cancellation of visit.

The three main meals to be hosted in Sharif’s honour were being organised by the PHD Chamber and Rajinder Gupta of Abhishek Industries.

The government had booked helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft but since the aircraft were scheduled to reach Chandigarh this evening, their charter was cancelled immediately.

Sharif was scheduled to lead a 50-member delegation, including 34 business delegates. He was to meet policy-makers and industrialists here tomorrow, besides attending the World Cup Kabaddi final as the chief guest and meeting agricultural scientists and progressive farmers in Ludhiana on December 15. He was scheduled to visit Delhi on December 16 and Amritsar on December 17.