Pakistan

India hints at sabotaging SAARC summit scheduled in Pakistan

PM Modi cites ‘cross-border terrorism’ as reason for refusal to step foot in Islamabad

News Desk April 08, 2018

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Nepalese counterpart Khadga Prasad Oli prior to their meeting, at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. PHOTO COURTESY: THE HINDU

India has hinted at pulling out of the 2018 summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) scheduled to be held in Pakistan, reported Radio Pakistan.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi threatened to sabotage the summit or pull away from the initiative altogether while meeting his Nepalese counterpart KP Sharma Oli in New Delhi on Saturday. Premier Sharma is currently in India on a three-day visit.

NDTV quoted Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale as saying that it is not possible to proceed with Saarc "under present circumstances".

‘Pakistan considered role model for SAARC countries’

"The prime minister [Modi] mentioned that he very enthusiastically participated in the Kathmandu (Saarc) summit, but given the current state of play where there is cross-border terrorism - and this is a disruptive force in the region, it is difficult in such circumstances to proceed with such initiatives," Gokhale told reporters.

Saarc protocol dictates that summits be held by member states in alphabetical order, while the state hosting the meeting also assumes the chair of the association.

The last summit was held in Kathmandu in 2014. The following meeting, expected to take place in Islamabad in 2016, had to be postponed after some members, led by India, pulled out from the summit.

According to NDTV, the summit was called off after Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also declined to participate in the Islamabad meet.

COMMENTS (10)

Tyggar | 6 years ago | Reply Did Pakistan send its Minister to the WTO meet in India?

EAsian | 6 years ago | Reply This is what India said: "Here's a hint: We are sabotaging SAARC."

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A Pakistani | 6 years ago | Reply Sabotaging, yeah, that's the only thing India knows how to do.

Gul | 6 years ago | Reply I don't want to say wrong about Indian people but Indian politics is full of racism that show there small mental level buty doing this a country that still thinks believes in casts and creads I think pakistan should not expect any good from them if they dont have equality bitween themselves how can they do good for anyone else

XoF | 6 years ago | Reply Keep whining. We are happier. Dnt care.

AA | 6 years ago | Reply SARC is dead after politicization. Pakistan should focus on regional cooperation with countries who reciprocate and establish on-to-one relations. India is the biggest regional power but consumed by its rivalry with Pakistan. It will never change until they get over Pakistan obsession, they are stuck in 1947.

Giri | 6 years ago | Reply SAARC is dead. India should complete the formality and officially quit from the forum. And form another forum with like minded countries. Why waste energy on something which is not working?

Yasir | 6 years ago | Reply I think Express Tribune should disable facebook comments on their articles. So much hate going around.

Fahim | 6 years ago | Reply Pakistan should nuke every country who's leader doesnt come to islamabad in saarc

Sodomite | 6 years ago | Reply Pakistan should pull out of nonsensical regional arrangements. Let India deal with all the SAARC members. We need to clear the debris of corrupt governments first, put our house in order and concentrate on CPEC alone to make Pakistan financially viable. Once we are strong everyone will want to befriend us.

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