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Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed optimism on Friday that his country would be able to host the long-awaited SAARC Summit once the “artificial obstacle” that has been placed in its way is removed.
Khan made the remarks at a meeting with Esala Ruwan Weerakoon, the Secretary-General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, according to the Foreign Office .
The Prime Minister “expressed hope to hold the SAARC Summit in Pakistan once artificial hurdles created in its path are removed,” according to the Foreign Office.
Since the previous biennial summit in Kathmandu in 2014, the SAARC, a regional association made up of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, has been inactive.
Originally, the 2016 SAARC Summit was scheduled for November 15-19 in Islamabad. However, following a terrorist attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri, Jammu & Kashmir, on September 18, that year, India stated that it would be unable to attend the summit due to “current circumstances.”
Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Afghanistan had also declined to attend the Islamabad meeting, therefore the summit was called off.
Khan expressed Pakistan’s adherence to the SAARC Charter’s mutually beneficial goals and objectives during his discussion with Weerakoon.
He also stated that SAARC can create a favourable and helpful environment for the development of economic synergies that will improve the quality of life for South Asians.
The FO reported that Prime Minister Khan “emphasised the importance of strengthening collaboration on matters of mutual interest such as climate change, education, poverty alleviation, energy integration, and health difficulties.”
The Prime Minister praised the SAARC Secretary-efforts General’s to develop and promote SAARC processes, and assured him of Pakistan’s sustained support for regional cooperation under the SAARC umbrella, according to the statement.
The Secretary-General thanked Prime Minister Modi for his advice on SAARC matters and promised him that, throughout his term, he will work hard to strengthen collaboration among member nations in various spheres for the benefit of all South Asian countries.
Khan also criticised the lynching of Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara in Sialkot earlier this month, saying that such crimes have no legitimacy.
He claimed that all required procedures had been taken to bring the offenders to justice as soon as possible.
In March of last year, Weerakoon, a Sri Lankan diplomat, took over as Secretary-General of the SAARC.
Weerakoon, who is visiting Pakistan for the first time since taking office, met with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi earlier this week, who reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the SAARC Charter’s principles and objectives for the welfare of the region’s people, economic integration, and regional prosperity.
