Saarc in trouble

The prospects of reconvening the 2016 Saarc Summit, that was to be held in Islamabad but got cancelled following a major terror attack on an Indian army camp, look bleak as India has made it clear that given continued cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, it is difficult to go ahead with the summit. 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed New Delhi's stand when the issue of rescheduling the Saarc Summit  came up for discussion during a meeting with his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli, who was in India on a three-day visit, on Saturday. Nepal is the current Chairman of Saarc.

"The Prime Minister (Modi) mentioned that he very enthusiastically participated in the Kathmandu (Saarc) summit, but given the current state of play where there is cross-border terrorism - and this is a disruptive force in the region--it is difficult in such circumstances to proceed with such initiatives," Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Keshav Gokhale told reporters here on Saturday evening while briefing on the outcome of the talks between the two leaders.

"While India is very supportive of all regional connectivity and regional cooperation issues, the views expressed by the Prime Minister (Modi) was Prime Minister Oil was well aware of the circumstances," Gokhale said.

The last Saarc Summit was held in 2014 in Kathmandu which was attended by Modi. The 2016 Summit was to be held in Islamabad but had to be called off following a terror attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir state that left 19 troops dead on September 18.

After the terror attack on the camp, India expressed its inability to participate in the summit due to "prevailing circumstances" and stepped up diplomatic pressure on Pakistan. Nineteen Indian soldiers died in that attack.

Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also declined to participate in the Islamabad summit in 2016 expressing solidarity with India.

During his visit to Kathmandu last month, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had sought Oli's support for convening the Saarc Summit in Islamabad. Abbasi had also urged Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena "to play his role for early convening of the Summit".

The Indian Foreign Secretary said Oli told Modi that he was looking forward to host the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation Summit this year. BIMSTEC excludes Pakistan and consists of Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan.

During the talks with Modi, Oli also gave a "positive reference" to the sub-regional transport sector initiative involving Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN), Gokhale said.