The Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ahmed Sirohey, confirmed the trip has been suspended. He said that President Hussain must address some internal issues in his country; however, he did not provide details of those commitments.
"Due to pressing concerns in Pakistan, the visit of the president to Nigeria has been postponed; we shall use our diplomatic channel to agree on a new date,"Sirohey said.
He also denied the decision was connected to security fears in Nigeria.
Nigeria's High Commissioner to Pakistan, Dauda Danladi, told NAN that the Nigerian government has already been briefed by the Pakistani authorities about the decision.
However, undisclosed senior officials of the Pakistani Embassy in Nigeria hinted PREMIUM TIMES on April 18, 2014, Friday that the decision has been made in direct response to Nigeria's increasing security troubles, especially the terrorist attack in the FCT on April 14, 2014, and abduction of 129 school girls by suspected Boko Haram fighters in Borno. In addition to this, such factor as 'bloody clashes in Taraba State' was mentioned.
President Hussainwas to arrive Abuja with 70 government officialsand textile tycoons on the invitation of President Goodluck Jonathan for a three-day state visit, starting from April 21, 2014, Monday.
The Pakistani side was hoping that the trip, the first in 32 years, would have enabled both countries to explore cooperation in petroleum resources, energy and domestic gas.
The cancellation of the Pakistani president's trip is another blow to Nigeria's struggling image abroad.
It would be noted that Pakistan itself faces some of the world's most horrific terrorist insurgency with a decade-old struggle against the Taliban.
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