ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday said that India had a track record of impeding the process of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), terming such approach as against the region’s interests of prosperity and development.
“Most of the times, it is India who creates hurdles in SAARC’s smooth functioning and had also postponed its meetings in the past,” FO Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said – in response to the Indian boycott.
The spokesman – when asked whether Afghanistan, Nepal and Bangladesh followed India’s suit in staying away from the SAARC summit – said that all SAARC member countries had in fact previously agreed for the venue during the last summit.
Zakaria rebuffed Indian claims to isolate Pakistan and said that such statements of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot isolate Pakistan in the comity of nations.
In this regard, he mentioned Pakistan’s engagements on the side-lines of United Nations General Assembly, China’s massive investment in Gwadar, joint military exercises with Russia, visit of Iranian naval ship and signing of mega projects with Central Asian states.
“All these happenings make India’s claims a laughing stock,” he said.
He said that Pakistan was already a member of several regional bodies including Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) and Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) and would remain active at these forums.
On the situation in Kashmir, Zakaria said the toll of innocent Kashmiris martyred by the Indian security forces had reached 100 in 83 days – with more than 12,000 injured among whom 800 received eye injuries.
“India has unleashed a reign of terror in the Held Kashmir,” he said.
Pakistan would continue to highlight the Indian atrocities at United Nations, Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other international for a, he said.
