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SAARC 2016: India says postpone event, red-faced Pakistan claims summit still on

Is it still SAARC if half the nations are missing?

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Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif at SAARC 2014
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 India said the SAARC Summit in Islamabad has to be postponed as it and three other countries have pulled out of the meet. However, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said a formal announcement to this effect will be made by Nepal, the current Chair of the SAARC. The current rule is that if any one head of State or Government decides not to participate in the SAARC Summit, it has to be postponed. All eight Heads of SAARC countries must be present for the Summit, Swarup said, adding if any one country decides not to participate, the Summit has to be postponed. "In the current case, not just India but Bangladesh Bhutan and Afghanistan have also written to current Chair of SAARC, Nepal that they are unable to participate in the SAARC Summit, which means there is no option but to postpone it," the Spokesperson said.

The countries have pulled out of the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November, indirectly blaming Pakistan for creating an environment which is not right for the successful holding of the meet. In the backdrop of the heightened tension with Pakistan over Uri terror attack in which 18 jawans were killed, India had announced late last night its decision to not participate in Summit, citing increased "cross-border" attacks

 

Unfazed by India and three other SAARC nations deciding to pull out from the summit here, Pakistan today said it will still hold the meet in November as scheduled which flies in the face of the SAARC charter under which even if one head of government skips the event, it gets automatically postponed or cancelled. Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said Pakistan will host the 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit in November, Radio Pakistan reported. Zakaria was quoted as saying that it was learnt from the Indian External Affairs Ministry's tweet that India is not going to participate in the SAARC Summit, a decision he called "unfortunate".

"While we have not received any official communication in this regard, the Indian announcement is unfortunate," he said. The spokesperson also said Pakistan is committed to regional peace and will continue working for the broader interest of the people of the region, according to the report. Separately, Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said India is making propaganda to foil the conference that was scheduled to be held in November, according to Pakistan Today newspaper. Besides India, three other SAARC members - Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan - have pulled out of the summit, indirectly blaming Pakistan for "creating an environment which is not right for the successful holding" of the meet. Under the SAARC charter, the summit is automatically postponed or cancelled even if one-member country skips the event.

Tensions between India and Pakistan are growing after militants stormed an Indian Army base in Uri on September 18, killing 18 soldiers. 

SAARC likely to be postponed says Nepalese media

The next SAARC Summit, which was scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan in November, has been postponed after India pulled out of the event "in the prevailing circumstances", Nepalese media reported today. 

"The 19th SAARC Summit has been postponed after India yesterday announced its inability to take part in it "in the prevailing circumstances"," the Kathmandu Post reported. Reports emanating from Nepalese media are significant as Nepal is the Chair of the eight-member grouping. India has already communicated its decision to Nepal. The summit is automatically postponed or cancelled even if one member country skips the event. Tensions between India and Pakistan are growing after militants stormed an Indian Army base in Uri on September 18, killing 18 soldiers.

Besides India, three other SAARC members - Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan - have pulled out of the summit, indirectly blaming Pakistan for "creating an environment which is not right for the successful holding" of the meet. Founded in 1985, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) currently has Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka as its members. 

 

 

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