Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday reiterated Pakistan’s willingness to host the 19th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in Islamabad “at the earliest.” He hoped that the “artificial obstacles” created in its way would be removed.
Speaking at a virtual informal meeting of the Saarc Council of Ministers on the sidelines of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Qureshi also stressed the need to adopt a regional approach through the platform of Saarc to tackle the numerous challenges facing the region, including the Covid-19 pandemic.
Islamabad was to host the 19th summit of the regional bloc in November 2016, but India on that occasion forced its cancellation by pulling out of the meeting on the pretext of “increasing cross-border terrorist attacks in the region and growing interference in internal affairs of member states by one country”.
It was later joined by its regional allies Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan, all of whom also pulled out citing concerns about terrorism and external interference in an implied criticism of Pakistan.
Pakistan has not been able to convene the event for the fourth year now because of a virtual Indian veto. Participation of all member states is mandatory for the convening of a Saarc summit.
“In the spirit of regionalism and as per Pakistan’s commitment to the Saarc platform I would like to reiterate Pakistan’s willingness for hosting the 19th Saarc Summit at Islamabad at the earliest,” Qureshi told the meeting. “We hope that the artificial obstacles created in its way would be removed and Saarc would be enabled to function as an effective instrument of regional cooperation.”
In his remarks, the minister said Saarc upholds the principle of sovereign equality which he said forms the basis for meaningful regional cooperation. “Pakistan will continue to play a proactive role towards the success of this important organisation,” he added.
Qureshi noted that the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has led to the “worst economic crisis since the Great Depression of 1930s” which has had a huge impact on economies and nations.
He said Pakistan has been “successful in containing and controlling the virus” by following the strategy of ‘smart’ lockdowns, along with testing, tracing and quarantining. “Our efforts in finding a balance between lives and livelihoods [were] helpful in mitigating the impact of the pandemic,” he said, adding that the government had provided support to the vulnerable segments of society through the prime minister’s $8 billion relief package.
