ISLAMABAD, June 18: Pakistan on Wednesday criticized India for opposing its entry into the Asean Regional forum (ARF).
Giving his reaction to the Indian step, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on the one hand there are moves to hold dialogue between the two countries while on the other India has resorted to such moves.
“We want to begin dialogue and such Indian moves would cause hurdles,” he said.
He said Pakistan had sent its High Commissioner to India. “We are for peace but the other side is not giving an positive response to it,” he said.
In the first reaction, Pakistan had welcomed Asean pledge this week to push for its inclusion in the Asia-Pacific region’s top security grouping ARF.
The Asean announced on Monday had decided to lift a moratorium on new members and push for Pakistan to become the ARF’s 24th member.
Mr Rashid had raised fears that India, already part of ARF, might try to block its entry.
BLOCKED: Meanwhile, a delegate attending the Asean meeting said in Phnom Penh said on Wednesday that India has blocked Asean push for Pakistan to join the security group.
Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Singha told ARF ministers and officials that the issue “should be tabled at a future meeting of the ARF so that members can have a say and have a discussion about this,” the delegate told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“You need a consensus to lift the moratorium and you need a consensus to admit new members,” the delegate said.
“I find it difficult to be a party to this,” another source said the minister told the gathering of foreign ministers and officials from the ARF’s 23 members.—AFP
