ISLAMABAD, March 29: Pakistan will support Iran’s bid for observer status in Saarc when its case is considered ahead of the 14th summit conference in New Delhi next week.

“Pakistan will certainly welcome Iran’s request for observer status in Saarc and support it,” a senior official at the foreign ministry involved in the preparatory process of the upcoming Saarc summit conference told Dawn on Thursday.

Iran’s case will be discussed by the Saarc foreign secretaries over the weekend and it will also be taken up by the foreign ministers when they meet next week to finalise the agenda for the two-day summit starting April 3.

China, Japan, South Korea, the United States and the European Union have already been approved for the observer status by the regional association.