SAARC Summit likely to be a non-starter in Islamabad?

Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan have pulled out of the SAARC Summit to be hosted by Islamabad in November.

Including India, this makes four of the eight-members of the regional grouping deciding to boycott the IslamabadSAARC Summit. Apart from Pakistan, other members of the SAARC (South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation) are Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka. While these three countries haven’t followed suit in boycotting the meet.

On Tuesday, Bangladesh sent a communication toSAARC Chair Nepal about its inability to participate in the proposed Summit in Islamabad. It said “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 SAARCSummit in Islamabad.”

Dhaka said it believes regional cooperation can “only go forward in a more congenial atmosphere.” In its communication, Bhutan blamed the “recent escalation of terrorism in the region” to have “seriously compromised the environment” for the holding of the summit. It said that it shared the concerns of some of the member countries (read India) on the deterioration of regional peace and security due to terrorism.

In its communication, Afghanistan said: “Due to increased level of violence and fighting as a result of terrorism imposed on Afghanistan”, the President Ashraf Ghani “with his responsibilities as the Commander-in-Chief will be fully engaged, and will not able to attend the Summit.”

-business-standard
-Agencies