Mumbai 26/11 attacks: When Pranab Mukherjee asked Pak foreign minister to leave

After the attack began, Mukherjee was informed that his counterpart was at a press conference.

Pranab Mukherjee had in 2008 called the then foreign minister of Pakistan Shah Mehmood Qureshi out of a press conference and asked him to leave immediately. This was in the aftermath of the Mumbai 26/11 attacks.

In the third volume of his autobiography, Mukherjee who was then the external affairs minister had even offered and aircraft to take Qureshi back to Pakistan.

After the attack began, Mukherjee was informed that his counterpart was at a press conference. Mukherjee interrupted the press conference through a journalist he knew and asked her to inform Qureshi that he wanted to talk to him urgently. When Qureshi came on line, Mukherjee read out a note prepared by the foreign secretary.

"Mr Minister, no purpose will be served by your continuing to stay in India in these circumstances. I advise you to leave immediately. My official aircraft is available to take you back home. But it would be desirable if a decision is taken as quickly as possible," Mukherjee told the minister.

Mukherjee said the Pakistani high commission later informed him that Qureshi had expressed gratitude for the offer and that a Pakistani air force aircraft would take him back home.

OneIndia News