NEW DELHI, India: The holding of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in Pakistan later this year is jeopardized as according to Indian media, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan have also decided not to attend the Conference in Islamabad.
The 19th SAARC Summit is scheduled to take place in Islamabad in November 2016; however, it won’t happen even if one of its eight members including Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives withdraws.
The Indian media citing sources reported on Wednesday that Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan have conveyed to the SAARC Chair in Nepal that they are not going to participate in the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November, saying the environment is not right for the successful holding of the meeting.
“The growing interference in the internal affairs of Bangladesh by one country has created an environment, which is not conducive to the successful hosting of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November 2016,” Bangladesh said while communicating its inability to attend to Summit as quoted by the India media.
“Bangladesh, as the initiator of the SAARC process, remains steadfast in its commitment to regional cooperation, connectivity and contacts but believes that these can only go forward in a more congenial atmosphere. In view of the above, Bangladesh is unable to participate in the proposed Summit in Islamabad,” it said.
Likewise, the Afghan government also expressed its inability to attend the SAARC Conference in Islamabad.
“Due to increased level of violence and fighting as a result of imposed terrorism on Afghanistan, President of Afghanistan Muhammad Ashraf Ghani with his responsibilities as the Commander in Chief will be fully engaged, and will not be able to attend the summit,” the Afghanistan government said in a message to SAARC Chair Nepal.
Bhutan said that while it is committed to the SAARC process and strengthening of regional cooperation, it is concerned over the “recent escalation of terrorism in the region, which has seriously compromised the environment for the successful holding of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November 2016.”
“Further, the Royal Government of Bhutan shares the concerns of some of the member countries of SAARC on the deterioration of regional peace and security due to terrorism and joins them in conveying our inability to participate in the SAARC Summit, under the current circumstances.”
Earlier on Tuesday, India conveyed its decision to pull out of the upcoming SAARC summit in Islamabad.
“India has conveyed to the current SAARC Chair in Nepal that increasing cross-border terrorists attacks in the region and increasing interference in the internal matters of member states by one country has created an environment that is not conducive to the successful holding of the SAARC summit,” the India’s Ministry for External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in a tweet on Tuesday.
The Indian MEA spokesperson further said that under the prevailing circumstances, India is unable to participate in the proposed summit in Islamabad.
The decision by the neighbouring countries as reported by the India media came when the relations between Pakistan and India have further deteriorated following the attack on the Indian army base in Uri Town of Indian held Kashmir.
