Pakistan on Monday reiterated its provide to host the long-pending summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), with overseas minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi pronouncing India can attend the meet sincerely if it does now no longer want to take part in person.
Qureshi made the feedback at the same time as addressing a information convention in Islamabad, wherein he supplied a evaluation of Pakistan’s overseas coverage all through 2021. He reiterated Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s feedback that the onus is on India to take steps to create an surroundings conducive to talk among the 2 facets.
The nineteenth Saarc Summit become to had been held in Islamabad in November 2016 however become known as off after New Delhi pulled out over the Uri terror assault that become blamed on Pakistan-primarily based totally terrorists. There is likewise uncertainty approximately the reputation of Afghanistan, one of the 8 participants of the grouping, following the Taliban takeover of the united states remaining year.
Qureshi, who become talking in Urdu, defined Saarc as an “essential discussion board” and stated: “Unfortunately, India has made this discussion board dysfunctional due to its stubbornness. They aren’t equipped to return back to Islamabad, they’re hesitant.”
He brought: “Because of India’s obstinacy, this discussion board is suffering. If India does now no longer need to return back [for the Saarc Summit], then new method are available. I reiterate our invitation to all Saarc participants and Pakistan is inclined to host the nineteenth Saarc Summit in Islamabad. If India doesn’t need to return back, they could attend sincerely.”
Qureshi similarly stated, “If they [India] have troubles coming right here physically, they could attend sincerely however they shouldn’t forestall others. They ought to allow others come and now no longer have an effect on this discussion board.”
There become no instant reaction via way of means of Indian officers to Qureshi’s comments.
Saarc operates at the precept of consensus and the summit can’t be held if even one member makes a decision now no longer to attend. With India-Pakistan family members at an rock bottom following a string of terror assaults blamed on Pakistan-primarily based totally companies, New Delhi has stated there can’t be any talk among the 2 facets if Islamabad does now no longer act in opposition to terrorist companies working from its soil.
In latest years, India has additionally centered on different nearby groupings, which include the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) to take ahead developmental cooperation.
Qureshi similarly instructed the information convention that possibilities for long lasting peace and balance withinside the area and the capacity for monetary improvement and nearby cooperation had been “held hostage via way of means of the hegemonic and opposed behaviour of India”, whose management has followed a “specifically irresponsible and politically inspired anti-Pakistan posture”.
He contended that India’s “unilateral and unlawful actions” in Jammu and Kashmir because August 2019 had “vitiated the surroundings and threatened global peace and security”. Qureshi stated, “Resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is a prerequisite for long lasting peace and balance in South Asia.”
He brought that Pakistan will retain to extend “ethical and diplomatic support” to the Kashmiri humans of their battle for self-determination.