Pakistan deplores India’s decision to impede SAARC process

Pakistan deplores India’s decision to impede SAARC process
Indian High Commissioner summoned to lodge protest at ceasefire violation

ISLAMABAD, Sep 30 (APP): Pakistan on Friday deplored
India’s decision to impede the SAARC process by not attending the 19th SAARC Summit, which was to be held at Islamabad on November 9 10, 2016.

“The spirit of the SAARC Charter is violated when a
member state casts the shadow of its bilateral problems on the multilateral forum for regional cooperation,” Foreign Office said in a statement issued here after the postponement of SAARC Summit by Nepal, the current Chair of the regional organization.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan was looking forward to
welcome the SAARC leaders for their participation in the Summit. All preparations had been made for successful holding of the summit in a befitting manner.

“The decision by India to derail the summit effectively
contradicts Prime Minister Modi’s own call to fight against poverty in the region,” the statement said.

“India’s decision to abstain from the summit on the
basis of unfounded assumptions on the Uri incident is a futile effort to divert attention of the world from the atrocities perpetrated by India in the Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir,” it added.

“Pakistan attaches great importance to regional
cooperation under the umbrella of SAARC (South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation.”

“It is committed to the SAARC objectives for promoting
welfare of the people of South Asia, improving their quality of life, acceleration of economic growth, social progress and cultural development.

“Therefore, Pakistan remains committed to hosting the
19th SAARC Summit at Islamabad at the earliest so that the objectives of regional cooperation under the SAARC umbrella can be pursued more vigorously,” the statement added.
According to the Foreign Office statement, a new set of
dates for holding of the 19th SAARC Summit at Islamabad will be announced soon, through the Chair of SAARC (Nepal).

“Accordingly, we have conveyed the same to the Prime
Minister of Nepal, the current Chair of SAARC,” it added.

APP Services