ISLAMABAD, Oct 19: The government on Saturday reiterated its commitment to the promotion of the principles and objectives of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and said it looks forward to hosting the 12th Saarc summit in January 2003.

Commenting on a statement by the Indian External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha about the summit, the spokesman observed: “Mr Sinha has been disingenuous to say the least.”

The spokesman said in a statement that the decision about the summit was reached by consensus at the Saarc council of ministers meeting in Kathmandu in August.

Thereafter, Pakistan had proposed that it be held from Jan 11 to 13, within the 15 days agreed by the council, he said and added that the dates had been conveyed to Saarc secretariat.

He said the dates were discussed by Saarc foreign ministers in an informal meeting in New York on Sept 16 and it was agreed that the members would confirm the acceptability by Sept 23.

“Any suggestion that no dates had been proposed or that no invitation had been received is incorrect, if not mala fide,” he said.

India, he said, knew well that formal invitations were issued after the dates were agreed upon by all members.

The spokesman termed “self incriminating” the assertion by the Indian foreign minister about “one country consistently trying to put obstacles in the way of the summit.”

“It is India that has always created obstacles in the way of Saarc summits,” he said.—APP