India voices concern over Indonesian President's Pakistan stop before Republic Day visit

India has formally expressed displeasure with the Indonesian government on President Prabowo Subianto's decision to club Pakistan with his visit to New Delhi where he will be the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations.

The Indian government conveyed its displeasure at the appropriate levels in Indonesia, ET has reliably learnt.

India and Indonesia are expected to ink several agreements during Prabowo's visit including in the defence and food security sectors. Prabowo has been big on partnership with India as an Asian neighbour and keen on purchasing BrahMos missiles and maintenance of Sukhoi fighter jets.


Pakistan wasn't previously part of Prabowo's schedule until he met the Pakistan PM at D-8 summit in Cairo a few weeks ago, it has been learnt. It was the Pakistan PM who extended the invite, and the Indonesian government is understood to have accepted it.

Pakistan's invite to Prabowo comes amid intense lobbying by Islamabad with UN Security Council permanent and non-permanent members of its agenda as the non-permanent member of the UNSC for 2025-26. ET has learnt that the agenda that Pakistan circulated to various UNSC members focuses heavily on its Kashmir narrative.

Curiously, Indonesia has refrained from backing Pakistan at OIC meetings on the Kashmir issue over the last few years. Indonesia like Central Asian states and the erstwhile Assad regime in Syria did not back Pakistan on the Kashmir issue.

It might be pointed out here that leaders of the Gulf and Arab world have stopped clubbing Pakistan along with India visits. In fact, Pakistan has been visited by very few leaders over the last half a decade.