ISLAMABAD: Prime minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, confirmed on Wednesday that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit to be held in Islamabad was suspended.
The news came a day after India boycotted the SAARC summit in wake of the Uri attack when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to pull out of the SAARC summit. The Indian foreign ministry – without naming Pakistan – said that the current environment was not conducive for the meeting.
Following the collapse in relations between the subcontinent’s nuclear-armed rivals, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan also boycotted the SAARC meeting.
The region’s foreign ministries echoed of Indian criticism on Tuesday night in statements saying ‘increasing cross-border attacks and growing interference in internal affairs by member states’ – which was originally New Delhi’s reason to boycott the conference.
Hours later, Bangladesh said that it was also pulling out. Afghanistan and Bhutan – both close Indian allies – have since followed suit, according to a SAARC official who asked not to be named.
“Pakistan has been interfering in our internal affairs for some time,” a senior Bangladesh foreign ministry official told AFP – requesting anonymity – “That’s why we have pulled out of the SAARC summit.”
However, Aziz said that Pakistan would not move from its principled stance on the Kashmir issue and that the next SAARC conference will be hosted by Pakistan – whenever it’s held.
Earlier on Saturday, Modi – under pressure to act after Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s efforts to ‘internationally’ highlight the Indian brutalities in Occupied Kashmir – warned Pakistan that India would push to globally isolate Islamabad.
News sources: The Guardian, AFP and Samaa TV.
