ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua on Friday said that future of the South Asian Associa­tion for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) lay in adherence by member states to the principles of sovereign equality and mutual respect.

“Only through adhering to the principles of sovereign equality and mutual respect among member states, would we be able to guide Saarc to our cherished goal of a prosperous and developed South Asian region,” Ms Janjua said at a ceremony held to commemorate the regional bloc’s 34th Charter Day.

The event was organised by the Foreign Office in collaboration with the Saarc Arbitration Council and Saarc Energy Centre. The event was attended by ambassadors and representatives of the missions of Member and Observer States of Saarc, heads and representatives of Saarc Arbitration Council, Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Saarc Energy Centre and officers of the foreign ministry.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Janjua renewed Pakistan’s desire to host the 19th Saarc summit.

FO commemorates bloc’s 34th Charter Day

“Pakistan stands ready to host the 19th Saarc summit,” she said.

Islamabad was to host the 19th summit of the regional bloc in November 2016, but India on that occasion forced its cancellation by first 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”, because of which it claimed the environment was “not conducive to the successful holding of the 19th Saarc summit in Islamabad”.

It was later joined by its regional allies Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan, all of whom exited, citing concerns about terrorism and external interference in an implied criticism of Pakistan. Pakistan has not been able to convene the event for the third year now because of a virtual Indian veto.

Participation of all member states is mandatory for the convening of a summit. Saarc summits, as per the charter of the body, are to be held once a year or more frequently as required by the situation. However, summits could be held on 18 occasions only in Saarc’s 34 years of existence. Most of the postponements have taken place in the last 17 years.

Soon after assuming the office, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government made a fresh attempt at convening the summit, but India again declined.

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj last week said Delhi was not responding “positively to it” and would not do so till the alleged support for terrorism ceases.

“Unless and until Pakistan stops terrorist activity in India, there will be no dialogue and we will not participate in Saarc summit,” she maintained.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2018