Food for rumour

A day after Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit met Kashmiri separatist leaders, the much-touted deal-breaker for talks with India, he was slated to hold a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club. The press conference was scheduled weeks before the recent imbroglio and the invitation asked journalists to come on time because the High Commissioner had to leave for the airport immediately after. The wild speculation began at once. He was being recalled. He was leaving India to save face. The suave and good-humoured Basit spiked the rumours as soon as he arrived. No, he was not leaving for the airport after this meeting but for a "special lunch" at a restaurant with some important officials. The original note about his departure, he explained, had to do with attending the now cancelled foreign secretary-level talks. Now, Basit didn't tell us who he was lunching with so, inevitably, the rumours flew again. He was having lunch with the Kashmiri separatist leaders, he was.... At any rate, Basit's lunch partner(s) remained his secret.